City Therapeutics Teams Up with Bausch + Lomb on RNAi Treatment for Geographic Atrophy
City Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical leader in RNA interference (RNAi)-based medicine, has announced a strategic collaboration with global eye health leader Bausch + Lomb. The partnership aims to develop a novel therapy targeting retinal diseases, with a particular focus on geographic atrophy (GA), an advanced stage of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) that leads to irreversible vision loss.
City Therapeutics, Inc., a leader in RNA interference (RNAi)-based medicine, has announced a strategic collaboration with Bausch + Lomb, a global leader in eye health. This collaboration focuses on developing a novel RNAi therapy for retinal diseases, particularly geographic atrophy (GA), an advanced form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) that causes irreversible vision loss.
Under the terms of the collaboration, City Therapeutics will utilize its next-generation RNAi engineering technologies to develop a novel RNAi clinical candidate targeted for intravitreal administration. The goal is to address retinal diseases, including GA, which currently has limited treatment options. Should Bausch + Lomb choose to continue with the candidate, they will take on responsibility for IND-enabling studies, clinical development, regulatory submissions, and commercialization activities. City Therapeutics will retain all technology and product rights, except in cases where Bausch + Lomb exercises its option to exclusively license a candidate for ocular indications.
Andy Orth, the newly appointed CEO of City Therapeutics, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, highlighting the shared vision with Bausch + Lomb to extend RNAi-based treatments to individuals with serious unmet needs, such as those living with GA. Orth emphasized that this partnership would not only support the development of a new treatment option for the over one million people in the U.S. living with GA but also provide significant funding to advance City Therapeutics’ RNAi platform. This platform focuses on developing innovative RNAi trigger molecules for a wide range of ophthalmic diseases.
Brent Saunders, Chairman and CEO of Bausch + Lomb, praised City Therapeutics’ leadership, noting that the company has been behind some of the most innovative advancements in RNAi medicines. Saunders remarked that current treatments for GA leave substantial room for improvement and expressed optimism that their collaboration would lead to the development of a novel RNAi-based treatment that could offer hope and better outcomes to a large patient population.
The partnership provides a strategic fit for both companies, as Bausch + Lomb brings significant expertise in ophthalmology, clinical development, and commercialization, while City Therapeutics contributes cutting-edge RNAi technology. John Maraganore, Ph.D., co-founder and executive chair of City Therapeutics, underscored the importance of this partnership in advancing the company’s RNAi innovations. Maraganore also noted that this collaboration aligns with City Therapeutics’ value-creation strategy, which balances the advancement of their pipeline through both partnerships and proprietary, wholly owned programs. This approach ensures the delivery of RNAi innovations to patients while maintaining a capital-efficient business model for shareholders.
As part of the collaboration agreement, City Therapeutics has received an upfront cash payment. Additionally, if Bausch + Lomb decides to pursue the clinical candidate further, City Therapeutics is eligible for contingent payments. These payments, tied to the development, regulatory approval, commercialization, and sales milestones, could total up to $485 million. Furthermore, City Therapeutics will receive tiered royalty payments on net product sales. To further solidify the partnership, City Therapeutics has issued a convertible note to Bausch + Lomb, which represents a minority equity interest in the company if converted.
City Therapeutics, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of RNAi-based therapeutics. The company is leveraging next-generation RNAi technologies to enhance and expand the reach of RNAi medicines. City Therapeutics aims to have a significant impact across multiple therapeutic areas, building an innovative pipeline of RNAi therapeutics to address a range of diseases with unmet medical needs. With $135 million in funding from leading life sciences investors, City Therapeutics is well-positioned to advance its groundbreaking work in RNAi-based treatments.
In summary, the strategic collaboration between theTherapeutics and Bausch + Lomb marks a major step forward in the treatment of retinal diseases, particularly geographic atrophy. By combining theexpertise in RNAi technology with Bausch + Lomb’s leadership in ophthalmology, this partnership has the potential to deliver innovative, RNAi-based treatments for patients suffering from GA and other retinal diseases. The collaboration also offers a strong foundation for the continued advancement of RNAi therapies in the field of ophthalmology, with the potential to improve outcomes for millions of people living with vision-threatening conditions.
