AviadoBio Expands vMiX Gene Therapy Rights Globally

AviadoBio has expanded its partnership with King’s College London, securing exclusive rights to apply the vMiX™ RNA interference (RNAi) gene-silencing platform across all human therapeutic areas, significantly broadening the technology’s potential beyond neurological disorders.

The new licensing agreement builds upon a collaboration established in 2020, when AviadoBio obtained rights to use the platform for its neurodegenerative disease gene therapy programs. Under the expanded deal, the company can now explore applications of vMiX in a wide range of disease areas, including cardiovascular disease, kidney disorders, cancer, and other conditions outside the central nervous system.

AviadoBio, a biotechnology company focused on developing gene therapies for neurodegenerative diseases, said the agreement strengthens its ability to leverage the platform through future collaborations and partnerships while continuing to prioritize its neuroscience pipeline.

The vMiX platform is designed to achieve targeted and long-lasting gene silencing using adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors as a delivery mechanism. The technology utilizes the body’s natural RNA interference pathway to reduce the expression of disease-causing genes following a single administration. According to the company, the platform can simultaneously silence up to three genes and supports a “silencing and replacement” approach by incorporating a transgene sequence within the same construct.

Another distinguishing feature of the platform is its ability to restrict gene-silencing activity to specific tissues or cell types through the use of targeted promoters, potentially improving precision and reducing unwanted effects in healthy tissues.

Lisa Deschamps, Chief Executive Officer of AviadoBio, said the company views vMiX as a versatile platform technology with applications extending far beyond neurodegenerative diseases. She noted that the expanded licensing arrangement will allow AviadoBio to maximize the value of the platform while seeking strategic partners to advance programs in therapeutic areas outside the company’s core focus.

The announcement follows encouraging preclinical results from AVB-406, AviadoBio’s lead vMiX-enabled candidate being developed for Alzheimer’s disease and other tauopathies. Data presented at the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT) 2026 Annual Meeting showed dose-dependent reductions of the MAPT gene of up to 80% in the brain. The findings highlighted the potential of the platform to deliver durable gene silencing through a one-time treatment and reinforced its broader applicability across multiple diseases.

Since licensing the technology in 2020, AviadoBio has invested in optimizing the vMiX platform and developing a discovery workflow that integrates computational, laboratory, and animal-model research. The company says this approach enables faster identification of therapeutic candidates and could significantly reduce the time required to reach first-in-human clinical trials.

Professor Sebastien Ourselin, Assistant Principal (Innovation) at King’s College London, described the expanded agreement as a reflection of both the platform’s versatility and the long-standing collaboration between the university and AviadoBio. He emphasized the importance of academic-industry partnerships in accelerating the development of innovative therapies for patients with significant unmet medical needs.

The broader licensing deal positions vMiX as a potentially valuable gene-silencing platform with applications spanning multiple therapeutic fields, opening new opportunities for research, development, and commercial partnerships in the growing gene therapy sector.