Corlieve Therapeutics

Corlieve Therapeutics operates as a biotechnology company centered on creating therapeutic solutions for severe neurological disorders. The firm was established in the fourth quarter of 2019 by Richard Porter, Christophe Mulle, and Valerie Crepel. The company's foundation was a collaborative effort involving Kurma Partners, REGENXBIO Inc., SATT Aquitaine Science Transfert, and Inserm Transfert.

Dr. Richard Porter, the founder and CEO, has over two decades of experience in neuroscience research and development. His background includes roles such as COO of Therachon until its acquisition by Pfizer, and leadership positions at Roche, Shire Pharmaceuticals, Vernalis, and ASTRA. He holds a Ph.D. in neuropharmacology from Southampton University. Co-founders Dr. Christophe Mulle serves as a CNRS Research Director at the University of Bordeaux, and Dr. Valerie Crepel is an Inserm Research Director at Aix-Marseille University; their scientific work forms the basis of Corlieve's lead program.

The company's primary focus is on treating temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), which is the most prevalent form of focal epilepsy. This condition affects an estimated 1.3 million people in the U.S. and Europe, with approximately 800,000 of these patients having drug-resistant seizures. Corlieve's business model revolves around the development and eventual commercialization of its gene therapy products. A significant milestone was achieved on June 22, 2021, when uniQure N.V., a gene therapy company, entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Corlieve. The deal included an upfront cash payment of €46.3 million, with potential future milestone payments related to development and regulatory approvals. Following the acquisition, Corlieve operates as a subsidiary of uniQure, with Dr. Porter serving as its General Manager.

Corlieve's main product candidate, now known as AMT-260, is a gene therapy that utilizes miRNA silencing technology. The therapy is designed to suppress aberrantly expressed kainate receptors in the hippocampus, which are implicated in the generation of seizures in TLE patients. This approach aims to provide a durable treatment for patients who do not respond to currently available anti-epileptic drugs. The technology was developed in partnership with REGENXBIO, which provided an exclusive license to its NAV AAV9 vector technology for the TLE program.

Keywords: gene therapy, temporal lobe epilepsy, neurology, biotechnology, AAV gene therapy, miRNA silencing, refractory epilepsy, kainate receptors, neuroscience, CNS disorders, uniQure, REGENXBIO, AMT-260, focal epilepsy, anti-epileptic therapies, neurological therapeutics, drug-resistant epilepsy, hippocampus, seizure control, genetic medicine