Sun Pharma sets up JV with Intrexon for ocular diseases

Indian specialty drugs group Sun Pharmaceutical Industries (BSE: 524715) and Intrexon Corp (NYSE: XON), a US synthetic biology company, have formed a joint venture to develop controllable gene-based therapies for the treatment of ocular diseases that cause partial or total blindness in millions of people worldwide.

Initial targets are dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma and retinitis pigmentosa. The JV will leverage Sun Pharma's global capabilities and experience in developing and manufacturing complex dosage forms and specialty pharmaceuticals for niche therapy areas. Intrexon and Sun Pharma will share in both the financing of, and the revenues from, the joint venture. Further financial terms were not revealed

Through an exclusive channel collaboration (ECC), the JV will have access to Intrexon's full suite of proprietary synthetic biology technologies, including the RheoSwitch Therapeutic System (RTS) platform. RTS is a clinically validated method for controlling the location, concentration and timing of protein expression. RTS may address a long-standing limitation of current approaches by enabling patients to receive a targeted biologic therapy without having to endure a lifetime of injections.