Benzinga | Nov 22, 2021 10:34AM EST

Regeneron Extends Hearing Loss Gene Therapy pact With Decibel

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:REGN) has extended the research term of its collaboration with Decibel Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:DBTX) to discover and develop gene therapies for hearing loss.

* The research term is extended to November 15, 2023, and Regeneron will pay Decibel an extension fee of $10 million in Q4 of 2022.

* Under the collaboration launched in 2017, Decibel is developing three gene therapy programs targeting congenital, monogenic hearing loss with Regeneron.

* Decibel plans to initiate in 2022 a Phase 1/2 clinical trial of DB-OTO, the Company's lead gene therapy candidate.

* DB-OTO is designed to provide hearing to individuals born with profound hearing loss due to mutation of the otoferlin gene.

* Decibel is also advancing AAV.103 and AAV.104, gene therapy programs targeting other monogenic forms of hearing loss, with Regeneron.

* Related: Decibel Therapeutics' Hearing Loss Gene Therapy Receives FDA Orphan Drug Tag.

* Price Action: DBTX shares are up 0.94% at $7.52 during the market session on the last check Monday.