VectorY and Annogen Announce Research Collaboration for the Development of CNS-cell Specific Promoters

PRESS RELEASE

Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 19 January 2023

Annogen to develop multiple CNS-cell specific promoters for VectorY programs

VectorY Therapeutics, a biotech company developing innovative vectorized antibody approaches for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, today announces they have signed into a Research Collaboration with Annogen, the company behind the SuRE™ technology, for the identification of CNS-cell specific synthetic promoters for use in VectorY’s vectorized antibody programs for neurodegenerative diseases.

Using its proprietary Survey of Regulatory Elements (SuRE™) technology, Annogen functionally annotates the entire human non-coding genome to identify regulatory DNA elements that control therapeutic gene expression for gene & cell therapy. Hundreds of millions of DNA elements are screened for their ability to serve as promoters or enhancers, driving gene expression in a cell- or disease-specific manner. The SuRE™ technology is unique among other promoter-identification technologies in functionally testing non-coding promoter elements throughout the entire genome including at remote sites where activity is regulated.

“We are delighted to work together with Annogen because novel tailored cell-specific promoters are an important addition to VectorY’s transformative AAV-vectorized antibody platform and its potential to yield disease-modifying treatments for neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS,” Sander van Deventer CEO of VectorY said.

“VectorY is a leading example of novel advanced approaches to gene therapy development ” Joris van Arensbergen CEO of Annogen adds. “Their focus on controlling various aspects of vector design, including cell-specific promoters, proves the value we can bring with our SuRE™ technology. We are very pleased to work with this forward thinking team and further build our track record in this field.

About VectorY

VectorY is on a mission to provide people with neurodegenerative diseases a longer, better life by creating transformative vectorized antibody treatments. Our platform combines the promise of precise therapeutic antibodies with one-time AAV-based delivery to the CNS. Unique in-house expertise on antibodies, AAV vectors, protein degradation, manufacturing and neuroscience drives the rapid development of much needed disease-modifying therapies for neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS and Huntington’s disease. For more information, see www.vectorytx.com.

About Annogen

At Annogen we use our SuRE™ technology to identify regulatory DNA elements to be used for controlled (therapeutic) gene expression for gene & cell therapy, as well as for recombinant protein production. In addition, we offer the AIM™ service to identify favorable gene insertions and their expression levels for more than 100,000 integrations in parallel. These approaches enables Research and Development to qualitatively interpret the non-coding genome in humans, animals and plants. For more information, please visit www.annogen.bio.

Contacts

VectorY Therapeutics B.V.
Sariette Witte, Head of Communications
E-mail: sariette.witte@vectorytx.com
Tel: +31 681 174 072

Instinctif Partners (media enquiries)
Melanie Toyne-Sewell / Giulia Lasagni / Manisha Kuttetira
E-mail: VectorY@instinctif.com
Tel: +44 20 7457 2020

Annogen
P. Victor Schut, CBO
victor@annogen.bio

VectorY’s Clinical Milestone and the Shift Toward Experimentally-Validated Promoters

VectorY’s Clinical Milestone and the Shift Toward Experimentally-Validated Promoters

The first patient dosing in VectorY Therapeutics’ PIONEER-ALS trial marks a definitive shift in gene therapy, moving past the “conservative” reliance on blunt viral promoters and the “digital guesses” of AI. While many rely on algorithms built from incomplete and insensitive data, VTx-002 is powered by an Annogen genome-derived promoter discovered through rigorous, large-scale experimental validation. This milestone proves that true therapeutic precision isn’t predicted in a black box—it is found by interrogating the genome directly to deliver the biological truth required for the clinic.

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