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Codexis Announces Several Key Presentations from its Gene Therapy Programs at 19th Annual WORLDSymposium™
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Feb. 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Codexis, Inc. (NASDAQ: CDXS), a leading enzyme engineering company, today highlights several key
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[{"type":"text","content":"REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Feb. 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Codexis, Inc. (NASDAQ: CDXS), a leading enzyme engineering company, today highlights several key presentations from its gene therapy programs from 19th Annual WORLDSymposium™, taking place from February 22-26, 2023, in Orlando, Florida. Notably, preclinical data in Fabry disease using its engineered transgene is being presented by its partner Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (Takeda). This program is part of Codexis’ Strategic Collaboration and License Agreement with Takeda, under which Codexis leverages its CodeEvolver® protein engineering platform to generate novel gene sequences encoding enzyme variants that are tailored to enhance efficacy by increasing activity, stability, and cellular uptake. Takeda is combining these improved transgenes with its gene therapy capabilities to develop novel product candidates for the treatment of rare genetic disorders. As part of the partnership, Codexis has engineered a unique α-galactosidase A (a-GLA) protein variant that may enable Takeda to address the limitations of existing standards of care in Fabry disease. “Our strategic collaboration with Takeda allows us to demonstrate our platform’s leading enzyme engineering capabilities in the context of gene therapy,” said Stephen Dilly, MBBS, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Codexis. “Using our CodeEvolver® platform to iterate upon naturally occurring enzymes, we are engineering an a-GLA protein variant with enhanced stability and reduced immunogenicity to potentially overcome the challenges historically associated with gene therapy approaches for Fabry disease. Our ability to tailor enzymes with specific, desirable characteristics and improved expression profiles pairs nicely with Takeda’s gene therapy expertise as we continue working to address the high unmet need in rare genetic disorders.” Fabry disease is a rare lysosomal storage disorder in which the body cannot efficiently break down lipids into smaller components. The disease stems from a deficiency in a-GLA. Low levels of a-GLA activity result in the accumulation of globotriaosylceramide (Gb3) in the lysosomes of various tissues, which can eventually negatively impact organs, including the heart, kidney, peripheral nervous system, skin, and gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Patients suffer from symptoms such as p...