Sun, Intrexon JV to develop eyecare drugs

Company to target dry age related mascular degeneration, glaucome, others first

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd and US-based Intrexon Corporation, company operating in the area of synthetic biology, has  formed  a joint venture to develop controllable gene-based therapies for the treatment of ocular diseases that cause partial or total blindness in  people.
 

Initial targets are dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma and retinitis pigmentosa. 

 

Intrexon and Sun Pharma will share in both the financing of, and the revenues from, the joint venture. 

 

Through an Exclusive Channel Collaboration (ECC), the joint venture 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.  

 

In addition to the initial targets, the companies intend to further expand the future pipeline of targeted ocular diseases to potentially include wet AMD, macular edema, non-infectious uveitis and diabetic retinopathy, said a Sun Pharma statement. 

 

Dilip Shanghvi, Managing Director of Sun Pharma, said “We believe Intrexon’s biotechnology capabilities will enable us to develop not one, but several highly effective, novel treatments for multiple ocular disorders where there is currently an unmet need.”