Alector Licenses Parkinson’s Drug Program to Genentech for $1.27B

Alector has entered into an exclusive global licensing agreement with Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, to develop and commercialize AL050, an investigational therapy designed to treat a key cause of neurodegeneration linked to Parkinson’s disease.

Under the agreement, Genentech will receive worldwide rights to AL050, which is designed to address deficiencies in glucocerebrosidase (GCase), an enzyme linked to Parkinson’s disease, particularly in people carrying mutations in the GBA1 gene.

Alector will receive $100 million upfront from Genentech and could receive up to an additional $1.17 billion in development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments. The company will also be eligible for tiered royalties based on net sales.

AL050 combines an engineered version of the GCase enzyme with Alector’s proprietary Alector Brain Carrier (ABC) technology. The approach is designed to help the therapy cross the blood-brain barrier and reach the brain, where GCase deficiency can cause harmful lipids to build up in nerve cells.

The therapy is intended to break down glucosylsphingosine and glucosylceramide, two lipids that can accumulate when GCase activity is reduced. Alector believes reducing this buildup could help improve cell function and potentially slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease.

GCase deficiency is increasingly being studied as an important driver of Parkinson’s disease. People with GBA1 mutations are at higher risk of developing the disease, although GCase-related mechanisms may also play a role in patients without these mutations.

Under the partnership, Genentech will take responsibility for the development, regulatory work, manufacturing and commercialization of AL050 across all potential indications. Alector will retain ownership of its ABC technology and continue using the platform in its wholly owned pipeline.

Alector CEO Arnon Rosenthal said the company designed AL050 to address two major challenges in treating GCase deficiency: developing an enzyme with strong and lasting activity and delivering it effectively into the brain.

The deal also gives Alector additional resources to advance its other programs. The company said the partnership extends its cash runway into 2029.

Alector plans to use these resources to advance its subcutaneously delivered, brain-enabled anti-Aβ antibody program toward multi-cohort clinical data in Alzheimer’s disease. The company also plans to move its brain-enabled tau siRNA and alpha-synuclein siRNA programs through IND-enabling studies and toward regulatory filings.

The collaboration marks another major step in Genentech’s efforts to develop new treatments for Parkinson’s disease, while giving Alector the financial support to continue developing therapies targeting neurodegenerative diseases.