VectorY and Annogen Announce Research Collaboration for the Development of CNS-cell Specific Promoters

VectorY Therapeutics, a biotech company developing innovative vectorized antibody therapies for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and Annogen, the company behind the SuRE^™ technology, today announced a research collaboration for the identification of CNS-cell specific synthetic promoters for use in VectorY’s vectorized antibody programs.

Using its proprietary Survey of Regulatory Elements (SuRE™) technology, Annogen functionally annotates the entire human non-coding genome to identify regulatory DNA elements that control therapeutic gene expression for gene & cell therapy. Hundreds of millions of DNA elements are screened for their ability to serve as promoters or enhancers, driving gene expression in a cell- or disease-specific manner. The SuRE™ technology is unique among other promoter-identification technologies in functionally testing non-coding promoter elements throughout the entire genome, including at remote sites where activity is regulated.

“We are delighted to work together with Annogen on novel tailored cell-specific promoters to enhance VectorY’s transformative AAV-vectorized antibody platform and its potential to yield disease-modifying treatments for neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS,” Sander van Deventer CEO of VectorY said.

VectorY is a leader in the development of transformative vectorized antibody therapies for neurodegenerative diseases with high unmet medical need. With extensive internal knowhow, a unique proprietary platform has been assembled that combines state-of-the-art therapeutic antibodies, capsids, and manufacturing to enable efficient delivery of one-time precision treatments to the CNS. VectorY is advancing a pipeline of potentially disease-modifying treatments for devastating neurodegenerative diseases, including ALS, Huntington’s, and Parkinson’s disease.

“VectorY is a leading example of novel advanced approaches to vectorized antibody therapy development,” Joris van Arensbergen CEO of Annogen adds. “Their focus on controlling various aspects of vector design, including cell-specific promoters, proves the value we can bring with our SuRE™ technology. We are very pleased to work with this forward-thinking team and further build our track record in this field.”