How Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. Is Partnering to Success

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Several years ago, Sangamo BioSciences (NASDAQ:SGMO  ) made a big splash when it began clinical testing for its novel HIV therapy. Results so far have been promising, but this therapy is still in mid-stage development. Luckily, Sangamo's proprietary discovery platform has since attracted attention and licensing deals from the likes of Shire(NASDAQ: SHPG  ) and more recently Biogen Idec(NASDAQ: BIIB  ) . Lets take a closer look at these partnerships and see if they can eventually allow Sangamo to advance its own pipeline.

Curing chronic blood disorders
When it comes to outcome-based medicine, Sangamo has a platform that should have a large market opportunity. The company owns a gene-editing technology based on zinc-finger proteins (ZFPs.) The fingertips can be engineered to bind a specific sequence of DNA. The company insists that it can permanently switch the expression of any gene on or off.

The whole idea sounds a little too good to be true, but innovative powerhouse Biogen has been convinced to the tune of a $20 million upfront payment. The companies recently announced a partnership to develop beta-thalassemia and sickle cell therapies. The basic terms of the deal leave Sangamo responsible for research and development activities until it can be proved to work in humans. Biogen Idec would take the reigns at that point, providing Sangamo with milestone payments up to $300 million and...

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