MeiraGTx Holdings PLC (NASDAQ:MGTX) rallied Thursday after announcing that it will team up with a Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) unit to develop and commercialize gene therapies for the treatment of inherited retinal diseases.
Under the deal, the gene therapy company said it will collaborate with Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc in the clinical development of product candidates for achromatopsia caused by mutations in either CNGB3 or CNGA3 and X-linked retinitis pigmentosa (XLRP).
Shares climbed 30% to $12.40 in Nasdaq trading.
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In addition, according to New York-based MeiraGTx, it’s working with Janssen on its pre-clinical programs for inherited retinal diseases (IRDs).
“By combining Janssen’s extensive clinical, regulatory and commercial expertise and global reach with MeiraGTx’s deep experience in gene therapy development and manufacturing, we aim to accelerate the development of our pipeline of potential IRD gene therapies to address the needs of patients globally,” Alexandria Forbes, president and CEO of MeiraGTx, said in a statement.
Last June, the company raised $75 million in its IPO by offering 5 million shares at $15.
Contact Dennis Fitzgerald at dennis@proactiveinvestors.com