Regeneron and Tessera ink $150M gene editing partnership in AATD

US biotech Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: REGN) and Tessera Therapeutics have entered into  a global collaboration to develop and commercialize TSRA-196, Tessera’s lead investigational in vivo Gene Writing program for the treatment of alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD).

AATD is an inherited monogenic disease that can affect the lungs, liver, or both organs, and currently impacts approximately 200,000 people in the USA and Europe.

Treatment options for AATD are limited, don’t reverse existing damage and largely only affect the disease’s impact on the lungs. As a result, the disease has become a top target among drugmakers in recent years. Several companies are pursuing a variety of technological approaches, but some have suffered clinical setbacks.