Lilly has teamed up with Precision to develop DMD gene therapy

November 20, Lilly and Precision BioSciences announced a research partnership and exclusive licensing agreement that will focus on Lilly's use of Precision's proprietary ARCUS® genomic editing platform to research and develop in vivo therapies for potential genetic diseases, focusing on the adaptation of Duchy muscular dystrophy (DMD) and two other unretrophed genetic targets.Under the terms of the agreement, Precision will receive an upfront cash payment of $100 million and a $35 million equity investment by Lilly in Precision. In addition, if Lilly succeeds in commercializing a co-ed therapy, Precision will receive $420 million in potential development and commercialization revenue, as well as a tiered royalty on product sales from the median to the smaller double digits.During the partnership, Precision will be responsible for leading preclinical research and support activities related to new drug research applications (INDs), While Lilly will be responsible for the clinical development and commercialization process, and Lilly will have the right to select up to three additional gene targets during the collaboration. Precision may choose to participate in the clinical development of one of these products in exchange for an increased royalty fee in the future sale of the co-financing product.Precision BioSciences is a clinical biotech company dedicated to innovation and its own ARCUS ® genome editing platform. The company's product line is mainly composed of ACUS® platform, consisting of several "immediately available" CAR-T immunotherapy clinical candidates and several in vivo gene-corrected therapy candidates for the treatment of genetic diseases and infectious diseases without appropriate treatment.ARCUS® is a highly specific and versatile genomic editing technology platform discovered and developed by Scientists at Precision, designed with treatment safety, delivery efficiency and effectiveness in account. It uses a specific sequence of DNA cutting enzymes or nucleases designed to insert (knock in), remove (knock out) or repair DNA in living cells and organisms. ARCUS is based on the naturally occurring genomic editing enzyme I-CreI system, which is a home-based nucleic acid incision enzyme found mainly in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, which allows highly specific cutting of cell DNA to
correct genetic defects at the source.In addition to this partnership with Lilly, Precision BioScience reached a strategic $445 million strategic partnership with Gilead in 2018 to develop a functional cure designed to eliminate the hepatitis B virus in the body using the ARCUS® genomic editing platform.For Lilly, gene editing technology is becoming a promising treatment for genetic diseases that currently do not have an effective treatment, creating drugs with conversion potential by working closely with the Precision scientific team and using their platform to develop and deliver drugs with conversion potential for untreated genetic diseases. Of course, this is just one of the research cooperation and licensing agreements Lilly signed this year. Back in March, Lilly announced a similar research and development agreement with biopharmaceutical company Sitryx to jointly develop four preclinical treatments for autoimmune diseases discovered by Sitryx in a potential $880 million deal.However, Lilly's deal with Precision BioSciences has yet to be approved under Hart-Scott-Rodino's antitrust amendments and other customary trading conditions. (Sina Pharmaceutical News)