Eikonoklastes, Forge announce partnership to develop ALS gene therapy

Preclinical biotech company Eikonoklastes Therapeutics and gene therapy manufacturer Forge Biologics announced a partnership that will advance Eikonoklastes’ ET-101 gene therapy into clinical trials for patients with ALS.

According to a joint press release, Forge will provide adeno-associated viral (AAV) process development and manufacturing services for ET-101, while Eikonoklastes will utilize Forge’s proprietary gene therapy technology. All development and manufacturing will be conducted at Forge’s Columbus, Ohio, facility.

“Eikonoklastes is conducting promising research into treating patients with ALS, and we are honored to work together with them during this critical phase of development to help ET-101 enter clinical trials,” Forge CEO and President Timothy J. Miller, PhD, said in the release. “Our primary goal is to deliver the AAV resources, scale, technology and expertise for our partners to help patients living with diseases like ALS with no known cure.”

ALS is the lead indication for ET-101, which in early November received orphan drug designation from the FDA, the release stated.

“We are excited to advance ET-101, our novel treatment for neurodegenerative diseases, toward a first-in-human clinical trial in ALS patients,” Bruce Halpryn, PhD, CEO and co-founder of Eikonoklastes, said in the release. “With their end-to-end platform supporting AAV therapies, Forge is accelerating our development to reach patients suffering from ALS.”