AlveoGene To Develop Inhaled Gene Therapy Technology

The launch of AlveoGene, a new UK-based biotech created to develop medicines based on a lentiviral vector technology developed by researchers from the UK Respiratory Gene Therapy Consortium (GTC) to deliver gene therapies directly into the lungs. The company was founded with seed funding from Oxford Science Enterprises, Harrington Discovery Institute, and Old College Capital, the startup investment fund of the University of Edinburgh, in collaboration with six GTC scientists.

It is led by biotech industry veteran and executive chair, David Hipkiss, who has previously held senior positions at life sciences companies including Enesi Pharma, which he co-founded, and Circassia, according to pharmaphorum. AlveoGene will initially focus its research and development efforts on alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency, a degenerative disorder that can lead to early-onset emphysema and is currently treated with weekly infusions of purified AAT produced from pooled human plasma. Outside of its uses in cystic fibrosis, the biotech has licensed exclusive rights to the GTC's InGenuiTy platform, a project that was partnered with Boehringer Ingelheim in 2021.

Gene therapies developed using the technology can be delivered through a nebuliser, and have been shown to transduce lung epithelial cells with "high efficiency and […] a long duration of action," according to AlveoGene, which notes the platform can also be used to deliver repeat doses. It estimates that AAT deficiency represents a "multi-billion dollar opportunity" with at least 100,000 patients in the US and a similar number in Europe, and expects to start clinical trials of its AVG-001 gene therapy within the next two to three years. In future, it also hopes to expand its pipeline to include therapies for lung surfactant deficiencies and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).