J&J collaborates with Locus Bioscience

US biotech firm Locus Biosciences has entered into an exclusive collaboration and license agreement with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, part of US healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), to develop, manufacture and commercialize CRISPR-Cas3-enhanced bacteriophage (crPhage) products targeting two key bacterial pathogens for the potential treatment of infections of the respiratory tract and other organ systems. Johnson & Johnson Innovation facilitated the transaction.

Under the terms of the agreement, which marks the firm’s first deal with a ‘big pharma,’ Locus will receive $20 million in initial payments, and is eligible for up to a total of $798 million in potential future development and commercial milestones, as well as royalties on any product sales.

Locus claims it is the world leader in CRISPR-engineered phage therapeutics, uniquely leveraging the powerful Type I CRISPR-Cas3 system to specifically degrade the DNA of target bacteria cells, quickly destroying them. This patented DNA-shredding technology precisely and selectively removes unwanted bacteria from the human body while leaving the many other species of good bacteria unaffected. If proven safe and effective in clinical trials, these products could provide a turning point in the global battle against antibiotic resistant infections and other microbiome dysbiosis-related conditions.