Allergan Buys Gene Therapy Company RetroSense Therapeutics - Quick Facts

(RTTNews) - Allergan plc (AGN) said it has acquired substantially all of the assets of privately-held gene therapy company RetroSense Therapeutics LLC in an all-cash transaction. The acquisition adds global rights to RST-001, a novel gene therapy approach for the potential treatment of Retinitis Pigmentosa.

Under the terms of the transaction, Allergan has paid RetroSense a $60 million upfront payment and agreed to potential regulatory and commercialization milestone payments related to its lead development program, RST-001, a novel gene therapy for the potential treatment of Retinitis Pigmentosa or RP.

"The acquisition of RetroSense and its RST-001 program builds on its deep commitment to eye care, and its focus on investing in game-changing innovation for retinal conditions, including Retinitis Pigmentosa, where patients desperately need treatment options," said Brent Saunders, CEO and President of Allergan.

RST-001 is first-in-class gene therapy application of optogenetics, a therapeutic approach that confers light sensitivity to cells that were not previously, or natively, light sensitive.

Retinitis Pigmentosa or RP is a group of rare, inherited genetic disorders characterized by progressive peripheral vision loss and night vision difficulties followed by eventual central vision loss and blindness in many cases. About 100,000 people living in the U.S., and 14 to 33 per 100,000 people worldwide have the disorder.