Vectory Therapeutics BV and Shape Therapeutics Inc. have entered into an option and license agreement granting Vectory an exclusive option to evaluate Shape’s deep brain penetrating AAV capsid, SHP-DB1, for vectorized antibody payloads against three therapeutic targets.

Shape Therapeutics Inc. could bring in as much as $1.2 billion in a new option and license deal with Vectory Therapeutics BV. It’s another collaboration for both companies that are known for working with large and small pharmas. Vectory is getting the exclusive option to evaluate Shape’s brain-penetrating adeno-associated virus capsid, SHP-DB1, against three targets, including mHTT, TDP-43 for Huntington’s disease and phosphorylated tau for Alzheimer’s disease.

In its second big pharma deal to date, Shape Therapeutics Inc. drew Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. to the table in a potential $1.5 billion-plus collaboration initially aimed at developing gene therapies for ocular diseases. The multitarget agreement, which includes options for additional targets and tissue types, will combine Shape’s AI-driven adeno-associated virus (AAV) platform and Otsuka’s expertise in ophthalmology to develop intravitreally delivered AAV therapies.

In one of the biggest collaboration deals of the year, Shape Therapeutics Inc. entered a collaboration and license agreement with Roche Holding AG to develop gene therapies for targets in areas that include Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and rare diseases. Seattle-based Shape is eligible to receive an initial payment, development, regulatory and sales milestone payments that could exceed $3 billion in aggregate value.

Private biopharma investment in 2021 continues to outpace that of the past two years as two gene therapy companies, Shape Therapeutics Inc. and Kriya Therapeutics Inc., posted series B financings this week totaling more than $200 million.