Solid Biosciences to acquire fellow US biotech

In a transaction aimed at creating a precision genetic medicine company focused on neuromuscular and cardiac rare diseases, Boston, USA-based biotech Solid Biosciences (Nasdaq: SLDB) on Friday announced that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire fellow gene therapy biotech AavantiBio, a privately-held gene therapy company focused on transforming the lives of patients with Friedreich’s ataxia and rare cardiomyopathies including its pipeline assets and net cash.

The combined company will focus on advancing a portfolio of neuromuscular and cardiac programs, led by SGT-003, a differentiated gene transfer candidate, for the treatment of Duchenne. Additional pipeline programs include AVB-202, a gene transfer candidate for the treatment of Friedreich’s ataxia, AVB-401 for BAG3 mediated dilated cardiomyopathy, and additional assets for the treatment of undisclosed cardiac diseases. Solid is, for now, pausing work on SGT-001, the company’s first-generation gene therapy that has suffered some clinical setbacks.

Both companies have been working on novel capsids with enhanced tropism to skeletal muscle and cardiac tissue that they plan to use internally and in potential out-license agreements.