June 30, 2020 -- Carmine Therapeutics has signed a research collaboration agreement with Takeda Pharmaceutical to develop gene therapies for rare diseases.
The firms will use Carmine's Regent red blood cell extracellular vesicles platform to research, develop, and commercialize nonviral gene therapies for two rare disease targets. Takeda has also committed a $5 million convertible loan to support development of the Regent platform.
In addition, Carmine will receive an upfront payment, research funding support, and potentially over $900 million in total milestone payments plus tiered royalties, the company said. Takeda has gained an option to license the programs following completion of preclinical proof-of-concept studies and would be responsible for clinical development and commercialization, according to Carmine.