Well, I first started looking at VYGR in March of 2019 when the share price was around $17, but didn't buy any until recently (luckily). Since 2019 then they pulled their clinical stuff and basically started over, but it looks like the technology must be OK.

 

Voyager to receive up-front consideration of $175 million including a $39 million equity investment, up to $1.5 billion in potential development milestones, additional potential commercial milestones, tiered royalties on net sales, program funding, and an option to elect 50/50 cost- and profit-sharing in the U.S. for the GBA1 program following Phase 1 readout -

- Neurocrine to receive worldwide rights to Voyager’s GBA1 gene therapy program for Parkinson’s disease and other GBA1-mediated diseases and three gene therapy programs directed to rare CNS targets, each enabled by Voyager’s next-generation TRACERTM capsids, as well as additional equity in Voyager -

- Jude Onyia, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer at Neurocrine Biosciences, will join Voyager’s Board of Directors -

- Voyager to host a conference call today; details below -

SAN DIEGO and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Jan. 09, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: NBIX) and Voyager Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: VYGR) today announced the formation of a new strategic collaboration to advance multiple gene therapies for the treatment of neurological diseases. The collaboration includes Voyager’s preclinical, intravenously administered GBA1 gene therapy program for Parkinson’s disease and other GBA1-mediated diseases, which combines a GBA1 gene replacement payload with novel capsids from Voyager’s TRACERTM (Tropism Redirection of AAV by Cell-type-specific Expression of RNA) platform. In addition, Neurocrine Biosciences and Voyager have agreed to collaborate on three new gene therapy programs directed to rare CNS targets, each also leveraging Voyager’s novel TRACER capsids. The collaboration builds upon the long-standing strategic partnership between Neurocrine Biosciences and Voyager and continues to combine Voyager’s expertise in novel capsid discovery, payload design, and neuropharmacology with Neurocrine Biosciences’ expertise in neuroscience and the clinical and commercial development of therapies for patients suffering from serious neurological diseases.

Voyager will host a company conference call and webcast to discuss the collaboration. Full webcast details are provided below.

“This new collaboration with Voyager encompassing GBA1-mediated diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and Gaucher’s disease complements our existing collaboration around Friedreich’s Ataxia and other CNS targets, establishing the foundation for a strong franchise of next-generation gene therapies utilizing Voyager’s TRACER capsids to treat serious neurological diseases,” said Jude Onyia, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Neurocrine Biosciences. “We believe GBA1 gene therapy has the potential to play a transformational role in the future treatment of Parkinson’s disease and other serious neurological diseases.”

“This collaboration illustrates the value-creation opportunity presented by combining Voyager’s novel TRACER capsid platform with our deep knowledge of neuropharmacology and payloads to advance next-generation gene therapies for CNS diseases,” said Alfred W. Sandrock, Jr., M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Voyager. “We look forward to expanding our engagement with Neurocrine Biosciences, with whom we already enjoy a strong relationship. We anticipate that the opportunities enabled by this collaboration will allow us to continue to invest in our platform and pipeline programs, as well as to advance cutting-edge research initiatives.”

Collaboration Details and Financial Terms

Under the terms of the agreement, Neurocrine Biosciences has agreed to pay Voyager $175 million up front, of which Neurocrine Biosciences has agreed to pay approximately $136 million in cash and to purchase approximately $39 million of newly issued equity in Voyager at a price of $8.88 per share, which represents a 50% premium to the average daily volume-weighted average price of Voyager’s stock over the 30 trading days prior to the execution of the transaction. In addition, Neurocrine Biosciences has agreed to fund all costs incurred under the collaboration, subject to the cost- and profit-sharing option terms below.

Regarding the GBA1 gene therapy program, Neurocrine Biosciences has agreed to fund development through the completion of a first Phase 1 trial. Following the data readout from such trial, Voyager has the right, but not the obligation, to elect to co-develop and co-commercialize the GBA1 program with Neurocrine Biosciences in the U.S. under a 50/50 cost- and profit-sharing arrangement in lieu of receiving further U.S. milestone-based payments and royalties or alternatively be eligible for U.S.-based development, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments and tiered royalties, with Neurocrine Biosciences maintaining responsibility for all development and commercialization expenses. If Voyager declines its option for cost and profit sharing on the GBA1 program, under the terms of the collaboration agreement, Voyager will be eligible for up to $985 million in total development milestone payments plus substantial potential commercial milestone payments, and tiered royalties ranging from low double-digit to twenty percent on U.S. net sales. Irrespective of Voyager’s election on its cost- and profit-sharing option, Voyager shall be eligible for potential ex-U.S.-based regulatory and commercial milestone payments, as well as royalties ranging from high-single-digits to mid-teens on ex-U.S. net sales.

Regarding the three new gene therapy programs under the collaboration, Voyager is eligible to earn up to $175 million in development milestone payments plus substantial potential commercial milestone payments for each program, and tiered high single-digit to mid-teens royalties on U.S. net sales and mid-single-digit to low double-digit royalties on ex-U.S. net sales. Neurocrine Biosciences has agreed to fully fund the development of the three new programs.

Neurocrine Biosciences and Voyager have agreed that, following the completion of the transaction, Jude Onyia, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer at Neurocrine Biosciences, will join Voyager’s Board of Directors.

The effectiveness of the collaboration agreement and the closing of the sale and issuance of Voyager common stock described above are subject to certain conditions including the expiration or termination of the applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, and other customary closing conditions.