Press Release
August 2, 2021

Minovia and Astellas Collaborate on Novel Mitochondrial Cell Therapy Programs, Minovia to Receive $20 Million Upfront with up to $420 Million Per Product in Milestone Payments

The Life Sciences team advised Minovia Therapeutics in its worldwide strategic collaboration and license agreement with Astellas Pharma (TSE: 4503) to research, develop, and commercialize novel cell therapy programs for diseases caused by mitochondrial dysfunction. Under the terms of the agreement, Minovia receives an upfront cash payment of $20 million. Through the joint research program with Minovia, if Astellas develops and commercializes product candidates for diseases caused by mitochondrial dysfunction, Minovia is eligible to receive up to $420 million per product in future development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments from Astellas.

Minovia and Astellas aim to accelerate the creation of allogeneic mitochondrial cell therapy programs. The two companies will jointly research cell therapy program candidates comprised of cells derived from Astellas’ proprietary genetically-engineered, induced pluripotent stem cells and augmented with Minovia’s proprietary MAT platform technology. The goal of these programs will be to treat diseases caused by mitochondrial dysfunction, through the transfer of healthy mitochondria to restore the patients’ tissues.

Minovia Therapeutics is a clinical stage company and the first to use a mitochondrial cell therapy approach with the hope of bringing life-changing therapies to patients living with mitochondrial diseases, through their proprietary Mitochondrial Augmentation Therapy platform.

The Goodwin team was led by Erini Svokos with invaluable assistance from Sarah Solomon, Daniel Karelitz, Kathleen Kean, Benjamin Gossels and Elizabeth Mulkey.

For additional details on the collaboration, please read the press release and coverage in FierceBiotech and PharmaLetter.