Words by Isabel O’Brien
Tessera Therapeutics has announced a partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, securing funding of up to $50m to develop an in vivo genetic therapy for sickle cell disease (SCD). The collaboration will aim to create one-time curative treatment for SCD that Tessera hopes will be accessible globally.
At the heart of Tessera’s approach is its proprietary Gene Writing™ platform, which will aim to correct the genetic mutations responsible for SCD through a single intravenous administration. This innovative method avoids the complexities of traditional ex vivo treatments, such as stem cell mobilisation and chemotherapy conditioning, offering a potentially safer and more accessible approach.
“Sickle cell disease patients globally remain deeply underserved by existing treatment options. We are excited to develop what we believe will be a disruptive one-time curative treatment for SCD that is safer, easier, and more scalable than ex vivo genetic approaches,” said Dr Michael Severino, CEO, Tessera.
The partnership represents a significant step forward for Tessera, a company founded by Flagship Pioneering in 2018. Tessera believes that its Gene Writing™ platform has the potential to play an important role in genetic medicine, not only for rare diseases such as SCD, but also for more common conditions such as cancer and potentially autoimmune and other diseases.
With this investment, Tessera is set to advance its sickle cell program forward, bringing the prospect of a curative treatment closer to reality for millions of patients worldwide.
