- Founded
- 2015
- CEO
- Michael Parini
- % Shareholding
- 78%
- Stage
- Clinical
- Number of employees
- 50+
- Clinical trials
- 2
Unless stated all financials at 30 June 2024.
Spur Therapeutics (formerly Freeline Therapeutics) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing life-changing gene therapies for debilitating chronic conditions.
By optimising every component of its product candidates, Spur aims to unlock the true potential of gene therapy to realise outsized clinical results. Spur is advancing a breakthrough gene therapy candidate for Gaucher disease and a potential first-in-class gene therapy candidate for adrenomyeloneuropathy (AMN), as well as a research strategy to move gene therapy into more prevalent diseases, including forms of Parkinson’s, dementia, and cardiovascular disease.
Spur’s lead programme, FLT201, is a highly differentiated gene therapy candidate that delivers a novel transgene to treat Gaucher disease Type 1, for which there is currently no cure. Spur’s next generation gene therapy uses AAV technology that aims to deliver best-in-class safe and effective gene replacement to the liver to produce sustained therapeutic protein expression. Spur has additional pre-clinical research programmes in central nervous system (CNS) and cardiovascular diseases, including one focused on GBA1 Parkinson’s disease that leverages the same novel transgene as FLT201.
In 2024 Spur acquired Syncona portfolio company SwanBio Therapeutics, creating a consolidated adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapy pipeline, bringing synergies around clinical capabilities and manufacturing know-how, as well as driving cost and operating efficiencies. Through acquiring SwanBio, Spur incorporated SBT101, a potentially first-in-class AAV gene therapy in Phase I/II clinical trials for the treatment of AMN, into its pipeline. AMN is a devastating neurodegenerative disease for which there are currently no approved treatments. The integration of the SBT101 programme enhances Spur’s growing focus on CNS disorders, including for its pre-clinical research programme in Parkinson’s.
Investment thesis
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Spur has two potential first-in-class gene therapy programmes
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Its lead programme is a highly differentiated gene therapy candidate, FLT201, for Gaucher disease type 1, and has shown positive safety and efficacy data to date
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SBT101, Spur’s second gene therapy programme, is a potential first-to-market therapy in an area of high unmet medical need
Unmet medical need
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There are a significant number of systemic diseases with genetic drivers and single gene neurological disorders which have poor or no treatment options
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Gaucher disease type 1 and adrenomyeloneuropathy are both debilitating, chronic and progressive disorders
Market opportunity*
- 18,000 patient opportunity in Gaucher disease
*Spur company estimate
The Spur Therapeutics pipeline
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FLT201 - Gaucher disease type 1
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SBT101 – AMN