Andelyn Biosciences inks licensing agreement with Solid Biosciences

Andelyn Biosciences, a full-service contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) for cell and gene therapies, has signed a licensing agreement with life sciences company Solid Biosciences. The contract provides Andelyn’s gene therapy clients with access to Solid’s proprietary AAV-SLB101, a rationally designed capsid developed for enhanced skeletal muscle and cardiac tropism and reduced biodistribution to the liver.

“By integrating this next-generation technology into our AAV Curator Platform, we can offer an advanced gene therapy vector that has been clinically validated and ultimately may allow for faster and more cost-effective development,” Matt Niloff, chief commercial officer at Andelyn Biosciences, said in a statement.

Andelyn’s proprietary AAV Curator Platform, a suspension and adherent process, allows for the ability to support the exacting viral vector manufacturing needs of different types of patients. According to Andelyn, the platform brings a modular approach to gene therapy Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls (CMC) processes by optimizing production and using configurable materials.

“We expect our partnership with Andelyn to help trailblaze a brighter future for gene therapy,” Bo Cumbo, president and CEO of Solid Biosciences, said in a statement. “Their pioneering and configurable CDMO model will broaden access to our proprietary capsid, enabling early-stage gene therapy programs to harness next-generation technology and benefit from the differentiated profile of AAV-SLB101.”

William Blair analyst Sami Corwin in a Monday note to investors said the partnership with Andelyn further validates Solid’s AAV-SLB101 capsid platform, which is the backbone of its lead program — SGT-003 — for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and adds to the over 30 collaboration agreements.

“The addition of Andelyn Biosciences to Solid’s growing network of collaborators underscores the broad applicability and industry confidence in the AAV-SLB101 capsid,” Corwin wrote. “We also view Solid’s collaboration with Andelyn and others as a positive for the company because they can accelerate data generation across more indications, deepening insights into the capsid’s performance and reinforcing Solid’s expertise.”

With facilities in Columbus, Ohio, Andelyn supports clients in developing cell and gene therapies from concept through plasmid engineering and manufacturing, process and analytical development, as well as cGMP clinical and commercial manufacturing.

In May, Andelyn announced it developed and manufactured a custom gene therapy to treat a child with NEDAMSS, a rare and degenerative neurological disorder. Using its AAV Curator Platform, the CDMO completed the therapy within 10 months of starting development, just 14 months after the child was diagnosed.