Voyager gains on additional PD gene therapy data

Voyager Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:VYGR) climbed $2.70 (25%) to $13.63 on Wednesday after updated data from a Phase Ib trial showed that Parkinson’s disease candidate VY-AADC01 led to durable, dose-dependent improvements across multiple measures of motor function. Next half, the company plans to start Phase II/III testing of the gene therapy, which comprises an adeno-associated virus (AAV) serotype 2 capsid and a cytomegalovirus promoter designed to deliver the dopa decarboxylase (DDC; AADC) gene directly into the putamen.

The trial enrolled 15 advanced PD patients with disabling motor fluctuations to receive one of three doses of VY-AADC01 in a single neurosurgical infusion delivered transfrontally into the putamen. VY-AADC01 was dosed at 7.5x10^11, 1.5x10^12 or 4.5x10^12 vector genomes. ...