Next-Gen Gene Therapy Solutions Creating New Niches in Executive Search
Next-gen gene therapy solutions are burgeoning in biotech, creating new niches for life sciences executive search consultants to move into when it comes to sourcing talent.
In July, Ring Therapeutics revealed it has raised $117M in a Series B funding round to enhance the capabilities of its novel viral vector platform, Anellogy. The platform uses anelloviruses, which are small, circular, single-stranded DNA viruses that are extremely diverse, and have not been associated with any disease so far (Kaczorowska & van der Hoek, 2020).
Additionally, it is believed almost the entire human population is infected with these apparently harmless viruses from a young age, and the body does not clear them through the immune system. Although their function and impact on human health is still being investigated, researchers suspect that anelloviruses may have a neutral or even symbiotic relationship with humans. This is encouraging for biotech companies looking to harness the power of anelloviruses as beneficial agents in drug discovery.
Ring touts that one of the benefits of its platform is the ability to overcome the immune response triggered by AAV vectors – how most gene therapies are currently administered. If one occurs, the patient is unable to receive additional doses of the therapy, and the effects of the dose given may weaken over time (Jensen, 2021). The body does not create an immune response to anelloviruses, making immunogenicity a non-issue.
Although Ring’s work is still in early stages, its initial investment came from Flagship Pioneering; and comparable firms are pouring capital into next-gen gene therapy solutions from innovative startups. 2020 saw nearly $20B invested into biotech companies developing cell-gene-, and tissue-based therapies (Pagliarulo, 2021). The cash influx reflects rapid growth in a sector that’s garnering attention from VCs, public company investors, and big pharma.
Other startups developing gene therapy solutions to the downsides of first generation therapeutics include Dyno Therapeutics, Generation Bio, Affinia Therapeutics, Stride Bio, and Taysha Gene Therapies.
Dyno recently signed a deal with Roche for its AI platform that designs viral shells to deliver the therapies. The design also intends to mitigate the immune response seen with AAV vectors. Generation Bio uses a closed-ended DNA construct (ceDNA), which is able to address a broader range of genetic diseases, and potentially provide years of effectiveness with one administration. Affinia aims to find solutions to the biggest issues compromising the effectiveness of gene therapies today – immunogenicity, tissue selectivity, manufacturing yields, and payload capacity. Stride Bio is designing AAV vectors with a modified surface that evades immune system recognition. And Taysha Gene Therapies is using multiple approaches involving optimizing AAV vectors and AI technology, to elicit high specificity for central nervous system diseases.
Next-gen gene therapy solutions open up a world of opportunity for life sciences executive search consultants. Sourcing talent with experience in AAV technology, artificially-enhanced capsid solutions to cell and gene therapy delivery, protein chemistry, and immunotherapy expertise are all highly relevant and in demand when it comes to finding biotech executive leaders with innovative solutions to next-gen gene therapies.
If you’re interested in learning more about BayBridge’s talent management approach to executive search, please get in touch with one of our expert consultants in the life sciences division today.
References
Jensen, K. (28 July 2021). A biotech startup raises $117M to deliver gene therapies in a new way. Biopharma Dive. https://www.biopharmadive.com/news/ring-therapeutics-gene-therapy-flagship-funding/604055/
Kaczorowska, J., & van der Hoek, L. (2020). Human anelloviruses: Diverse, omnipresent, and commensal members of the virome. FEMS Microbiology Reviews, 44(3), 305-313. doi: 10.1093/femsre/fuaa007
Pagliarulo, N. (16 March 2021). Record funding flowed into cell, gene therapy companies last year. Biopharma Dive. https://www.biopharmadive.com/news/gene-cell-therapy-funding-2020-arm-report/596790/
