Benzinga | Oct 6, 2020 07:02AM EDT

Taysha Gene Therapies Partners with Invitae to Enable Rapid Access to Genetic Testing and Earlier Diagnosis of Patients with CNS Disease for Rare and Large-Market Indications

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Taysha Gene Therapies Inc. (NASDAQ:TSHA), a patient-centric gene therapy company focused on developing and commercializing AAV-based gene therapies for the treatment of monogenic diseases of the central nervous system in both rare and large patient populations, today announced a partnership with Invitae, a leading medical genetics company, to support Invitae's Detect Lysosomal Storage Diseases (Detect LSDs) and Behind the Seizure(r) programs. The Detect LSDs program enables the rapid diagnosis of lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs), including GM2 gangliosidosis (also known as Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff disease). The Behind the Seizure program is an innovative, cross-company collaboration that supports faster diagnosis for children with epilepsy. The Behind the Seizure program will also support patient identification across Taysha's broad pipeline of gene therapies for which a number of indications have an underlying seizure phenotype.

"Through both initiatives, we are supporting the rapid identification of patients with debilitating diseases, allowing them to gain access to earlier therapeutic interventions. For LSDs, there are more than 50 different disorders with overlapping symptoms, making misdiagnosis common," said RA Session II, Taysha's President, CEO and Founder. "Likewise, more than 50% of epilepsies have a genetic basis. When a patient presents with seizures, genetic testing may help identify more than 100 underlying, often rare conditions. We are proud to support these initiatives to help patients gain timely access to natural history studies, clinical trials, and ultimately disease-modifying therapies."

Eligible individuals suspected of having an LSD or epilepsy will gain access to genetic testing and counseling at no charge through these programs. The Detect LSDs program will help identify individuals who are eligible for Taysha's study evaluating TSHA-101 in patients with GM2 gangliosidosis, expected to enter the clinic later this year. The Behind the Seizure program will enable patient identification across Taysha's broad pipeline of indications, some of which have an underlying seizure phenotype, and rapid enrollment into natural history studies and clinical trials.

"Increasing access to genetic testing can support earlier diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases, which in turn enables clinicians to provide precision therapies sooner and better overall outcomes," said Robert Nussbaum, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Invitae. "These unique, cross-company collaborations have been shown to help increase access to testing and reduce time to diagnosis. We are pleased Taysha has joined us in helping increase access to testing for children impacted by neurodegenerative conditions."

Additional details, as well as terms and conditions of the Detect LSDs program, can be found at https://www.invitae.com/en/detectLSDs/. To learn more about the Behind the Seizure program, please visit https://www.invitae.com/en/behindtheseizure/.