Voyager advances Neurocrine collaboration, selects third gene therapy candidate

Voyager Therapeutics (VYGR) announced that the joint steering committee with its collaborator Neurocrine Biosciences (NBIX). has selected a development candidate in a gene therapy program for the potential treatment of an undisclosed neurological disease. The candidate leverages an intravenously administered, blood-brain barrier-penetrant, novel capsid derived from Voyager’s TRACER capsid discovery platform. Selection of the development candidate triggered a $3 million milestone payment to Voyager, which the Company expects to receive in the fourth quarter of 2024. Voyager is eligible to receive additional future development and commercialization milestone payments based on the further advancement of this program. This program is being developed under the 2023 strategic collaboration agreement between Voyager and Neurocrine Biosciences for research, development, manufacture, and commercialization of certain AAV gene therapy products for programs targeting Parkinson’s disease and other GBA1-mediated diseases and three other undisclosed programs. Under the terms of the 2023 collaboration agreement, for each of the three undisclosed programs, Voyager is eligible to receive up to $175 million in potential development milestone payments plus substantial potential commercial milestone payments, as well as tiered high single-digit to mid-teens royalties on U.S. net sales and mid-single-digit to low double-digit royalties on ex-U.S. net sales. Neurocrine Biosciences will fund the development of each program.