MONTPELLIER, FRANCE — Sensorion (FR0012596468 – ALSEN), a clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to restoring, treating, and preventing hearing-related disorders, announces the extension of its partnership with the Institut Pasteur in Paris, France. This collaboration, initiated in 2019, includes the Hearing Institute, focusing on developing gene therapy programs.
The framework extension underlines a successful collaboration between Sensorion and Institut Pasteur, particularly within the Hearing Institute, dedicated to the development of gene therapy programs targeting unmet medical needs in hearing disorders.
Gene Therapy Programs
Two key gene therapy programs, SENS-501 (OTOF-GT) and GJB2-GT, are currently underway within this collaboration. Sensorion submitted a Clinical Trial Application in July 2023 for SENS-501 to initiate a Phase 1/2 clinical trial in the United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU).
SENS-501 primarily targets deafness arising from mutations in the gene encoding otoferlin, driving the program towards clinical stages. Additionally, a second gene therapy program, GJB2-GT, announced in 2021, is undergoing preclinical development. GJB2-GT specifically addresses deafness associated with mutations in the GJB2 gene, a prevalent form of childhood deafness.
Over the last 25 years, the Hearing Institute at the Institut Pasteur has gained substantial expertise in the physiology and molecular pathophysiology of the auditory system. The collaboration empowers Sensorion’s access to potential new collaborations and offers the company preferential rights to other preclinical research programs in inner ear diseases at Institut Pasteur.
Professor Christine Petit, from the Institut Pasteur and Collège de France, comments, “The extension of this partnership signifies significant progress achieved over the past four years, enabling us to move our candidate, SENS-501, into clinical stages. This collaboration showcases a promising avenue for developing curative treatments for hearing impairment.”
“Our partnership with the Institut Pasteur has propelled Sensorion into a leading role in gene therapy applied to hearing disorders. We are committed to leveraging this collaboration to pioneer revolutionary therapies for patients facing hearing-related challenges.”
–Nawal Ouzren, CEO of Sensorion
About Sensorion:
Sensorion is a clinical-stage biotechnology company specializing in restoring, treating, and preventing hearing loss disorders. It utilizes a unique R&D technology platform to target drug candidates’ mechanisms of action for hereditary monogenic forms of deafness. Sensorion’s portfolio includes clinical-stage small molecule programs alongside gene therapy developments.
About Institut Pasteur:
The Institut Pasteur, a renowned biomedical research center, operates in research, public health, training, and applications development. It specializes in infectious diseases, microbiology, and immunology, focusing on various fields such as emerging infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance, cancers, neurodegenerative diseases, and brain connectivity disorders.
Source: Sensorion
