Janssen Acquires Rights to Hemera Biosciences Investigational Gene Therapy for Late-Stage AMD

Janssen Pharmaceuticals announced the acquisition of rights to Hemera Biosciences’s investigational gene therapy HMR59, administered as a one-time, outpatient, intravitreal injection to help preserve vision in patients with geographic atrophy.

Financial terms of the transaction with Hemera Biosciences, a privately-owned biotechnology company, were not being disclosed.

Patients with AMD often have low levels of CD59, a protein that protects the retina from damage caused by an essential part of the body’s natural immune response called “complement.” In geographic atrophy, an overactivity of complement destroys cells in the macula, the central part of the retina responsible for central vision and seeing fine details, and results in a relentless progression to blindness. HMR59 is designed to increase the ability of retina cells to make a soluble form of CD59, helping to prevent further damage to the retina and preserve vision, according to Janssen, which is a division of Johnson & Johnson.

“Geographic atrophy is a devastating form of AMD that impacts the ability to accomplish everyday tasks, such as reading, driving, cooking, or even seeing faces,” James F. List, MD, PhD, Global Therapeutic Area Head, Cardiovascular & Metabolism, Janssen Research & Development, said in a company news release. “Our aim with this novel, single-administration gene therapy is to use our development expertise and deep heritage in vision care to help improve patient outcomes by intervening early, halting the progression to blindness, and preserving more years of sight.”

The phase 1 study of HMR59 for patients with geographic atrophy is complete. A second phase 1 study exploring HMR59 in patients with wet-AMD is currently conducting follow-up visits to evaluate long-term safety.