Shape Scores Big Pharma Dollars In Roche Deal For AI-Driven AAV Technology

 
• By Alaric DeArment
  
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Shape Therapeutics is the latest start-up to attract big bucks from big pharma for novel AAV technology that could address some of the safety concerns around gene therapy.

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Fresh off its more than $100m series B venture capital round, Shape Therapeutics, Inc. has attracted a major partner – Roche Holding AG – to help develop its adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector gene therapy technology. The size of the deal, with an aggregate value of potentially more than $3bn, highlights the growing attention that large drug makers are paying to next-generation AAV technology coming from the start-up world, especially companies using artificial intelligence (AI) to develop it, as gene therapies have lately been the subject of safety scares.

Seattle-based Shape Therapeutics (ShapeTx) said 24 August that it signed a multi-target partnering and licensing agreement with Roche in which...

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