Sun Pharma inks JV with US-based Intrexon Corp to develop gene therapies

MUMBAI: Sun Pharma, India’s biggest drugmaker by market cap, has signed a joint venture with the US-based Intrexon Corporation, a leader in synthetic biology, to develop controllable gene-based therapies for the treatment of eye diseases, the company said in a press release on Tuesday without disclosing financial details of the deal.


The 50:50 joint venture will leverage Sun Pharma’s global capabilities and experience in developing and manufacturing complex dosage forms and specialty pharmaceuticals for niche therapy areas. The partners will initially target age-related macular degeneration ( AMD), a medical condition that causes partial or full loss of vision among older adults; glaucoma, a kind of eye disease; and retinitis pigmentosa, an eye disease that causes severe vision loss and at times even blindness.