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Voyager Therapeutics Presents Robust, Multi-Species Results from Preclinical Studies of IV-Delivered, TRACER™-Generated Novel Capsids at the ASGCT 26th Annual Meeting
Oral presentation features further evaluation of second-generation capsids, demonstrating increased transduction in several brain areas across multiple
About this update from Voyager Therapeutics, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"Oral presentation features further evaluation of second-generation capsids, demonstrating increased transduction in several brain areas across multiple non-human primate species\nCAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 18, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Voyager Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: VYGR), a biotechnology company dedicated to breaking through barriers in gene therapy and neurology, presented data today validating the ability of novel capsids generated through its TRACER™ capsid discovery platform to consistently demonstrate desirable features such as improved blood-brain barrier penetration and increased transgene expression in multiple areas of the brain compared to conventional AAV capsids, as well as cross-species translation. These results are being presented at the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT) 26th Annual Meeting, taking place May 16-20, 2023, in Los Angeles. “These data demonstrate that our TRACER capsid discovery platform is able to generate brain-penetrant capsids in a highly reproducible manner,” said Todd Carter, Chief Scientific Officer of Voyager Therapeutics. “Further, the cross-species tropism observed in a range of non-human primates and the characterization of a receptor expressed in humans increase our confidence that these capsids may translate in human clinical trials and may enable gene therapies for neurologic diseases.” TRACER AAV Capsid Discovery Platform Directed evolution of an AAV9 library identifies a capsid variant with enhanced brain tropism and liver de-targeting in non-human primates and mice following systemic administration (Oral Presentation) As first disclosed at the ASGCT 2022 meeting, the novel, TRACER-derived capsid VCAP-102 has demonstrated CNS tropism across mice and non-human primates (NHPs).In a new study in marmosets, intravenous administration of VCAP-102 resulted in 450-fold higher transgene expression compared to a conventional AAV9 benchmark capsid, achieving greater than 50% cell transduction in multiple areas of the brain at a dose of 2E12 vg/kg.Further evaluation following intravenous administration of VCAP-102 in African green monkeys showed transduction across diverse brain areas including the frontal, motor, temporal and cerebellar cortexes; putamen; caudate; and hippocampus regions, with 38-fold to 186-fold increases in these brain regions compared to a conventional AAV9 b...