Gene Editing Pioneer Leverages Crispr to Create Customized Treatments for Rare Diseases, Citing Breakthroughs in FDA Regulatory Pathway.
A new startup called Aurora Therapeutics, co-founded by Nobel laureate Jennifer Doudna, is pushing the boundaries of gene editing technology by developing personalized treatments for rare and fatal diseases. The company aims to capitalize on a new regulatory pathway announced by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that allows for the approval of bespoke therapies for rare conditions based on data from a small number of patients.
This shift marks a significant change in the way drug trials are conducted, particularly for rare diseases where recruiting enough patients is a major challenge. According to FDA officials Marty Makary and Vinay Prasad, once a manufacturer demonstrates success with several consecutive patients with different bespoke therapies, the agency will consider granting marketing authorization for the product.
Aurora's initial focus will be on treating phenylketonuria (PKU), a metabolic disorder that requires a highly restrictive low-protein diet to prevent toxic levels of phenylalanine in the blood. Without early treatment and monitoring, PKU can hinder brain development and impair cognitive functions. The company plans to use base editing, a more precise form of Crispr technology, and will have a standardized process to streamline the design and manufacturing of its therapies.
Aurora's strategy involves swapping out guide RNAs to make several versions of a PKU therapy that address different mutations. This approach allows for the treatment of multiple mutations with less regulatory red tape compared to traditional drug development processes.
According to Fyodor Urnov, Aurora's co-founder and a genome editing scientist at UC Berkeley, the company is committed to making treatments available to all patients regardless of the mutation causing their condition. "We are very much about no mutation left behind," he says.
The Innovative Genomics Institute will continue to create bespoke gene-editing therapies for children with rare diseases, while a trial at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Penn Medicine will test the same type of gene editor used in baby KJ's therapy in a group of similar disorders.
A new startup called Aurora Therapeutics, co-founded by Nobel laureate Jennifer Doudna, is pushing the boundaries of gene editing technology by developing personalized treatments for rare and fatal diseases. The company aims to capitalize on a new regulatory pathway announced by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that allows for the approval of bespoke therapies for rare conditions based on data from a small number of patients.
This shift marks a significant change in the way drug trials are conducted, particularly for rare diseases where recruiting enough patients is a major challenge. According to FDA officials Marty Makary and Vinay Prasad, once a manufacturer demonstrates success with several consecutive patients with different bespoke therapies, the agency will consider granting marketing authorization for the product.
Aurora's initial focus will be on treating phenylketonuria (PKU), a metabolic disorder that requires a highly restrictive low-protein diet to prevent toxic levels of phenylalanine in the blood. Without early treatment and monitoring, PKU can hinder brain development and impair cognitive functions. The company plans to use base editing, a more precise form of Crispr technology, and will have a standardized process to streamline the design and manufacturing of its therapies.
Aurora's strategy involves swapping out guide RNAs to make several versions of a PKU therapy that address different mutations. This approach allows for the treatment of multiple mutations with less regulatory red tape compared to traditional drug development processes.
According to Fyodor Urnov, Aurora's co-founder and a genome editing scientist at UC Berkeley, the company is committed to making treatments available to all patients regardless of the mutation causing their condition. "We are very much about no mutation left behind," he says.
The Innovative Genomics Institute will continue to create bespoke gene-editing therapies for children with rare diseases, while a trial at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Penn Medicine will test the same type of gene editor used in baby KJ's therapy in a group of similar disorders.