The license agreement provides Neurologix with exclusive worldwide rights (excluding Japan) to develop and commercialize therapeutics to treat brain and other CNS disorders (excluding amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) using the humanin gene.
The humanin gene will be used in combination with Neurologix’s proprietary gene transfer technology. The resulting therapeutic is expected to be the company’s lead compound for a novel approach to Alzheimer’s disease.
Humanin is of specific interest because it appears to be one of the body’s internal anti-Alzheimer’s defenses, and it is specifically found in brain regions that are naturally resistant to Alzheimer’s disease.
“We believe that humanin, as a secreted protein, is specifically well-suited for gene therapy applications because a therapeutic could be readily delivered into the cerebrospinal fluid. This could lead to persistent and efficient delivery of the therapeutic without the need for brain surgery or repeated injections,” commented Dr Michael Sorell, CEO of Neurologix. “We are proposing an aggressive, fast-track development for humanin.”