Astellas Pharma to acquire stake in biotech company Taysha GeneTherapies

Astellas Pharma has signed an agreement to acquire a 15% stake in US-based biotech company Taysha GeneTherapies through an investment of $50 million.

As part of the transaction, the Japanese pharmaceutical company will get an exclusive option to license Taysha GeneTherapies’ TSHA-102 and TSHA-120, two clinical-stage, single-gene therapies for rare genetic diseases.

TSHA-102 is a gene therapy in clinical development for Rett syndrome, a severe genetic neurodevelopmental disorder, while TSHA-120 is a phase 1/2 candidate for the treatment of giant axonal neuropathy (GAN), an inherited central and peripheral nervous system disorder.

RA Session II — Taysha GeneTherapies CEO said: “We are excited to enter this strategic investment with Astellas, a premier biopharmaceutical company with global R&D, manufacturing and commercial capabilities.

“We believe this investment not only further validates the potential of our technology platform, but also reinforces the therapeutic and market opportunity of our two lead clinical assets.”

Astellas Pharma will also acquire some rights pertaining to any potential change of control of the gene therapy company, subject to definitive agreements by Astellas Pharma and Taysha GeneTherapies’ stockholders’ approval.

In addition, the Japanese pharma company will receive one board observer seat on the board of directors of the US biotech company to enable the latter to leverage its gene therapy clinical and commercial expertise for the advancement of the TSHA-120 and TSHA-102 gene therapy candidates.

Naoki Okamura — Astellas Pharma Chief Strategy Officer, said: “Gene therapy is the corner stone of Astellas’ Primary Focus, Genetic Regulation; our goal is to bring new transformative treatment options to patients living with serious genetic diseases and limited treatment options”

The acquisition of stake in Taysha GeneTherapies follows Astellas Pharma’s acquisition of Audentes in early 2020 and the opening of a GMP manufacturing facility in North Carolina in June 2022 to improve its capabilities to offer new gene therapies to patients.