Lonza and MEE grant exclusive licences to biotech for gene therapy platform

Lonza and Massachusetts Eye and Ear (MEE) have granted Akouos (a new biotechnology company) licences for exclusive rights to the ancestral adeno-associated viral vectors (Anc-AAV) gene therapy platform for all hearing and balance disorders.

This agreement has been designed to accelerate AAV gene therapy for hearing and balance disorder and builds on the existing Anc-AAV partnership between MEE and Lonza.

“Our mission is to make healthy hearing available to all,” said Dr Manny Simons, founder and CEO of Akouos. “To this end we are building the leading inner-ear gene therapy company. Our cornerstone partnership with MEE, the world’s largest hearing research centre, and with Lonza, a global leader in viral gene and cell therapy manufacturing, sets a strong foundation for the important work to be done in this emergent field. Together with these strategic partners and our founding investors at 5AM Ventures, NEA and Partners Innovation Fund, Akouos is poised to translate scientific breakthroughs into life-changing treatments. We are excited to be working collaboratively with the hearing-science research community, hearing healthcare providers and families affected by hearing loss to create a future in which the gifts of hearing are available to all.”

“This strategic licensing deal with Akouos, alongside our valued partner in MEE, is a key milestone on the path to delivering the next transformative class of gene therapies together,” added Marc Funk, COO, Lonza’s Pharma&Biotech segment. “It upholds our commitment at Lonza, the leader and pioneer in global AAV manufacturing, to support our world-class innovation in the gene therapy field and our continuous quest for improving patients’ lives.”

“We are very excited to bring together such great talent to accelerate the progress in treatment of hearing and balance restoration disorders,” continued Dr D. Bradley Welling, PhD, chief of otolaryngology at Massachusetts Eye and Ear and Massachusetts General Hospital and the Walter Augustus LeCompte Professor and Chair of Otolaryngology at Harvard Medical School, and Dr Joan W. Miller, chief of ophthalmology at Massachusetts Eye and Ear and Massachusetts General Hospital, and the David Glendenning Cogan Professor of Ophthalmology and chair of ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School. “It is our mission to make a difference in the lives of patients.”