Vect-Horus has entered a research collaboration agreement with Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals for treating neurodegenerative diseases.

The partnership is facilitated by Johnson & Johnson Innovation. It aims to utilise Vect-Horus’ technology to deliver Janssen monoclonal antibodies to the brain.

The effectiveness of various biological drugs in treating brain diseases becomes diminished due to their limited ability to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB).

In the research collaboration, Janssen Pharmaceuticals will leverage Vect-Horus’ VECTrans technology, which facilitates the delivery of drugs or imaging agents into the brain.

Vect-Horus will monitor the conjugate designs and the conduct of the in vivo proof-of-concept brain uptake studies, while Janssen will carry out additional preclinical and clinical development.

Vect-Horus co-founder and CEO Alexandre Tokay said: "We are pleased with the signing of this agreement.

"Combining the expertise of Janssen in CNS diseases with our brain delivery technology should lead to further progress in treating patients with neurodegenerative diseases."

Under the agreement, Vect-Horus will receive payments for research and development (R&D) costs. Furthermore, it will receive payments for additional option exercise fees, as well as development and sales milestones.

The collaboration with Janssen Pharmaceuticals forms a part of the Vect-Horus’ framework strategy. Under this, it aims to enter R&D agreements with biopharmaceutical companies for the use of its VECTrans technology.

Through these partnerships, the company aims to develop new patentable chemical entities, based on the vectorisation of their drug candidates.

Vect-Horus was established in 2005 as a spin-off of the Institute for NeuroPhysiopathology. It focuses on the development of vectors that will facilitate the delivery of therapeutic or imaging agents to specific organs.

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