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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of Earliest Event Reported):
December 6, 2023
Voyager
Therapeutics, Inc.
(Exact name
of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware |
|
001-37625 |
|
46-3003182 |
(State
or other jurisdiction
of incorporation) |
|
(Commission
File Number) |
|
(I.R.S.
Employer
Identification No.) |
75 Hayden Avenue
Lexington,
Massachusetts |
|
02421 |
(Address
of principal executive offices) |
|
(Zip
Code) |
Registrant’s telephone number, including
area code: (857) 259-5340
Not Applicable
(Former name or former address, if changed since
last report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K
filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
¨
Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
¨
Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
¨
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
¨ Pre-commencement
communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
Securities registered pursuant
to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class |
|
Trading Symbol(s) |
|
Name of each exchange on which
registered |
Common
Stock, $0.001 par value |
|
VYGR |
|
Nasdaq
Global Select Market |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is
an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging
growth company ¨
If
an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying
with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨
Item 8.01. Other Events
On December 6, 2023,
Voyager Therapeutics, Inc. issued a press release entitled “Voyager Therapeutics Announces Selection of Development Candidate for
SOD1 Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Gene Therapy Program” (the “Press Release”). A copy of the Press Release is filed
herewith as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
Date: December 6, 2023 |
VOYAGER THERAPEUTICS, INC. |
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Alfred Sandrock, M.D., Ph.D. |
|
|
Alfred Sandrock, M.D., Ph.D. |
|
|
Chief Executive Officer, President, and Director
(Principal Executive Officer) |
Exhibit 99.1
Voyager Therapeutics Announces Selection of
Development Candidate for
SOD1 Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Gene Therapy Program
- IND filing expected in mid-2025 -
LEXINGTON, Mass., DECEMBER 6, 2023 – Voyager Therapeutics,
Inc. (Nasdaq: VYGR), a biotechnology company dedicated to breaking through barriers in gene therapy and neurology, today announced that
it has selected a lead development candidate for its superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1)-mutated amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) gene therapy
program. The Company anticipates filing an investigational new drug (IND) application with the Food and Drug Administration for the candidate
in mid-2025.
Voyager’s SOD1-ALS lead candidate combines a highly potent siRNA
construct to decrease the expression of SOD1 with an IV-delivered, blood-brain barrier-penetrant TRACER™ capsid. In a non-human
primate study, the candidate demonstrated 73% reduction of SOD1 in cervical spinal cord motor neurons following a single intravenous dose
in cynomolgus macaques. The candidate demonstrated robust knockdown of SOD1 across all levels of the spinal cord and motor cortex. Further,
the candidate demonstrated an ability to transduce both neurons and astrocytes, two cell types thought to play an important role in ALS.
Voyager expects to present additional data on the candidate at an upcoming scientific conference. In data previously shared at the 2022
American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT) annual meeting, another Voyager SOD1-ALS preclinical candidate increased
survival by a median of 152 days in a G93A mouse model, with survival in some animals exceeding 430 days.
“Our SOD1-ALS program is one of several TRACER™-powered
gene therapy programs we expect to see advance to IND in 2025,” said Alfred W. Sandrock, Jr., M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer
of Voyager. “We believe our development candidate could represent a significant advancement in the treatment of SOD1-mutated ALS
by offering the potential for durable SOD1 knockdown with a single IV administration. SOD1 is a validated target, and we plan to utilize
established cerebrospinal fluid and plasma biomarkers in early clinical studies to efficiently achieve potential proof of concept.”
About Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative
disease in which the motor neurons atrophy and die, resulting in loss of the ability to speak, move, eat and, eventually, breathe. ALS
is typically fatal within approximately two to five years of symptom onset1,2. The disease is estimated to impact approximately
20,000 people in the U.S.2 Multiple genes have been implicated in ALS; mutations in the superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1)
gene are estimated occur in approximately 2-3% of ALS cases, or up to 600 people in the U.S.2,3,4 There are multiple treatments
available for ALS and its symptoms, but there is no cure.5
About the TRACER™ Capsid Discovery Platform
Voyager’s
TRACER™ (Tropism Redirection of AAV by Cell-type-specific Expression of RNA) capsid discovery platform is a broadly applicable,
RNA-based screening platform that enables rapid discovery of AAV capsids with robust penetration of the blood-brain barrier and enhanced
central nervous system (CNS) tropism in multiple species, including non-human primates (NHPs). TRACER generated capsids have demonstrated
superior and widespread gene expression in the CNS compared to conventional AAV capsids as well as cell- and tissue-specific transduction,
including to areas of the brain that have been traditionally difficult to reach, while de-targeting the liver and dorsal root ganglia.
As part of its external partnership strategy, Voyager has established multiple collaboration agreements providing access to its next-generation
TRACER capsids to potentially enable its partners’ gene therapy programs to treat a variety of diseases.
Voyager Therapeutics, Inc. • 75 Hayden Avenue,
Lexington, MA 02421 • 857.259.5340 • voyagertherapeutics.com
About Voyager Therapeutics
Voyager Therapeutics (Nasdaq: VYGR) is a biotechnology company dedicated
to breaking through barriers in gene therapy and neurology. The potential of both disciplines has been constrained by delivery challenges;
Voyager is leveraging cutting-edge expertise in capsid discovery and deep neuropharmacology capabilities to address these constraints.
Voyager’s TRACER™ AAV capsid discovery platform has generated novel capsids with high target delivery and blood-brain barrier
penetration at low doses, potentially addressing the narrow therapeutic window associated with conventional gene therapy delivery vectors.
This platform is fueling alliances with Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease; Novartis Pharma AG; Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. and Sangamo
Therapeutics, Inc., as well as multiple programs in Voyager’s own pipeline. Voyager’s pipeline includes wholly-owned and
collaborative preclinical programs in Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson’s disease, and
other diseases of the central nervous system, with a focus on validated targets and biomarkers to enable a path to rapid potential proof-of-biology.
For more information, visit www.voyagertherapeutics.com.
Voyager Therapeutics® is a registered trademark,
and TRACER™ is a trademark, of Voyager Therapeutics, Inc.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements for the purposes of the safe harbor provisions under The Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws. The use of words such as “anticipate,” “expect,”
“plan,” “believe,” or “potential,” and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking
statements.
For example, all statements Voyager makes
regarding Voyager’s ability to advance its AAV-based gene therapy programs, including the preclinical development of its potential
development candidates and timing of IND filings; Voyager’s expected presentation of additional data from its SOD1 ALS gene therapy
program at an upcoming scientific conference; the potential for the development candidate to achieve durable SOD1 inhibition following
IV delivery or address ALS manifestations beyond the CNS by enabling broad CNS knockdown of SOD1; and Voyager’s ability to utilize
established cerebrospinal fluid and plasma biomarkers to efficiently achieve potential proof-of-biology for the development candidate
are forward looking.
All forward-looking statements are based on
estimates and assumptions by Voyager’s management that, although Voyager believes such forward-looking statements to be reasonable,
are inherently uncertain. All forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ
materially from those that Voyager expected. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the continued development of Voyager’s
technology platforms, including Voyager’s TRACER platform; the ability to initiate and conduct preclinical studies in animal models;
the development by third parties of capsid identification platforms that may be competitive to Voyager’s TRACER capsid discovery
platform; Voyager’s ability to create and protect intellectual property rights associated with the TRACER capsid discovery platform,
the capsids identified by the platform, and development candidates for Voyager’s pipeline programs; the initiation, timing, conduct
and outcomes of Voyager’s preclinical studies; the possibility or the timing of the exercise of development, commercialization,
license and other options under the Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease and Novartis license option agreements and Neurocrine collaborations;
the ability of Voyager to negotiate and complete licensing or collaboration agreements with other parties on terms acceptable to Voyager
and the third parties; the ability to attract and retain talented directors, employees, and contractors; and the sufficiency of cash resources
to fund its operations and pursue its corporate objectives.
Voyager Therapeutics, Inc. • 75 Hayden Avenue,
Lexington, MA 02421 • 857.259.5340 • voyagertherapeutics.com
These statements are also subject to a number
of material risks and uncertainties that are described in Voyager’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission. All information in the press release is as of the date of this press release, and any forward-looking statement
speaks only as of the date on which it was made. Voyager undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise this information or any
forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
References:
1 ALS Association. ALS Symptoms
and Diagnosis. Available at: https://www.als.org/understanding-als/symptoms-diagnosis. Accessed: December 2023.
2 Mehta P., et al. Prevalence of
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in the United States, 2018. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Degeneration. 2023 Aug
21:1-7. doi: 10.1080/21678421.2023.2245858. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37602649.
3 Brown C., et al. Estimated Prevalence
and Incidence of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and SOD1 and C9orf72 Genetic Variants. Neuroepidemiology. 2021;55(5):342-353. doi:
10.1159/000516752. Epub 2021 Jul 9.
4 Ricci C., et al. A Novel Variant
in Superoxide Dismutase 1 Gene (p.V119M) in Als Patients with Pure Lower Motor Neuron Presentation. Genes (Basel). 2021 Sep 29;12(10):1544.
doi: 10.3390/genes12101544.
5 National Institute
of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Available at: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/amyotrophic-lateral-sclerosis-als.
Accessed: December 2023.
Contacts
Investors
Investors@vygr.com
Andrew Funderburk
afunderburk@kendallir.com
Media
Trista Morrison
tmorrison@vygr.com
Peg Rusconi
prusconi@vergescientific.com
Voyager Therapeutics, Inc. • 75 Hayden Avenue,
Lexington, MA 02421 • 857.259.5340 • voyagertherapeutics.com
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