Core Insights - Transition Bio and Voyager Therapeutics have entered a collaboration to discover and develop small molecules targeting TDP-43 for ALS and FTD patients [1][2][3] Company Overview - Transition Bio focuses on drug discovery for traditionally "undruggable" targets using biomolecular condensates, with a pipeline that includes programs for ALS, FTD, and MYC-driven cancers [4] - Voyager Therapeutics leverages human genetics to develop treatments for neurological diseases, with a pipeline that includes programs for ALS and other central nervous system diseases [5] Collaboration Details - Transition Bio will handle the discovery and optimization of small molecules until a development candidate is nominated, after which Voyager can license the rights for development and commercialization [2] - Transition Bio has received an upfront payment in the single-digit million-dollar range and could earn up to $500 million in milestone payments, along with royalties on net sales [2] Scientific Approach - The collaboration aims to address the therapeutic challenges of TDP-43, which is implicated in over 90% of ALS cases and up to 45% of FTD cases [1][3] - Transition Bio's technology aims to correct the mislocalization of TDP-43 without affecting its essential functions [3]