Roche and Shape Therapeutics, a Seattle, Washington-based company developing RNA technologies for gene therapies, have entered into a multi-target collaboration and license agreement, worth up to $3 billion, to advance adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based RNA-editing technology to develop gene therapies in neuroscience and rare disease indications.

Under the partnership, Shape will apply its RNA-editing platform, RNAfix, and potentially use its AAVid technology platform for tissue-specific AAVs for developing gene therapies for certain targets in the areas of Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and rare diseases. Shape will conduct preclinical research to identify and deliver development candidates discovered by RNAfix and, potentially, AAVid, Shape’s capsid discovery platform. Roche will be responsible for the development and global commercialization of any potential products resulting from the collaboration.

Under the agreement, Shape is eligible to receive an initial payment as well as development, regulatory, and sales milestone payments, potentially exceeding $3 billion in aggregate value. Shape is also eligible to receive tiered royalties on future sales of products resulting from the collaboration.

Source: Shape Therapeutics