AAVantgarde is a spin-off of Telethon Institute for Genetics and Medicine (TIGEM), an international research institute based in Naples that is owned and managed by the Telethon Foundation. AAVantgarde was founded by Professor Alberto Auricchio, a highly recognized scientist and a pioneer in the field of gene therapy.

The company's platforms (dual hybrid and intein-mediated) are being validated in two inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) with a high unmet need: Usher syndrome type 1B (USH1B) and Stargardt disease (STGD) respectively and have the potential to be extended into different diseases caused by a mutated large gene.