Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (CRL) and Navega Therapeutics, Inc. announced on Thursday a production program agreement centered on Adeno-associated virus-9 (AAV9). Under the terms of the agreement, Charles River's Cell and Gene Therapy Accelerator Program will assist Navega in the production of their new AAV-based gene therapy, NT-Z001, in preparation for Phase I clinical trials.
Navega is charting a new path in the treatment of chronic pain associated with rare diseases, such as small fiber neuropathy and primary erythromelalgia. Their unique approach is to avoid opioids and instead utilize a gene therapy regulation platform powered by artificial intelligence for precise control over zinc-finger proteins within the epigenome.