Spark Licenses Selecta’s Gene-Therapy Administration Technology

On Dec. 5, 2016, Spark Therapeutics and Selecta Biosciences entered a license agreement for Selecta’s proprietary Synthetic Vaccine Particles (SVP) platform technology for co-administration of gene therapy targets including FVIII for hemophilia A, as well as exclusive options for up to four additional undisclosed genetic targets. The agreement provides Spark with exclusive worldwide rights to the technology.  

Selecta’s immune tolerance SVP, including SVP-Rapamycin, is an investigational technology intended to suppress the formation of neutralizing antibodies to an adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsid when used in combination with gene therapies, without altering the therapeutic profile of the gene therapy. Neutralizing antibodies form in response to an initial administration of an AAV gene therapy and prevent effective subsequent usage. The potential ability to re-dose a gene therapy may be beneficial where a patient has not achieved a sufficient therapeutic expression of the transferred gene in the initial dose, Spark said in a press release.

Spark Therapeutics will make an initial $10-million cash payment to Selecta and purchase $5 million of Selecta’s common stock. Within 12 months of the agreement’s signing, Spark Therapeutics has agreed to pay Selecta an additional $5 million in cash and to purchase $10 million of Selecta’s common stock. Selecta will be eligible for up to $430 million in milestone payments for each target, with up to $65 million being based on Spark Therapeutics’ achievement of specified development and regulatory milestones, and up to $365 million for specified commercial milestones. In addition, Spark Therapeutics will pay Selecta tiered mid-single to low-double-digit royalties on worldwide annual net sales of any resulting commercialized gene therapy.