SonoThera™ Receives Exclusive Licensing of GE HealthCare’s Optison® and Sonazoid® Microbubble Products for use with its Ultrasound-guided Gene Therapy Platform

• Global agreement allows the microbubble products to be used in the development and commercialization of SonoThera’s novel, ultrasound-guided, nonviral, gene therapy platform.
• SonoThera’s platform uses a microbubble-mediated biophysical process to non-invasively deliver nucleic acid payloads of diverse formats and sizes, selectively targeting a wide range of organs within the body.
• SonoThera’s technology platform and treatments aim to overcome the most significant delivery challenges in gene therapy.

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–SonoThera™, a biotechnology company dedicated to treating the root cause of human diseases through genetic therapy, today announced it has received exclusive, global, commercial licensing rights from GE HealthCare (Nasdaq:GEHC) for use of Optison^® and Sonazoid^® microbubble products. The products are being used in the development of SonoThera’s novel, ultrasound-guided nonviral gene therapy platform.

“By integrating GE HealthCare’s microbubble products into SonoThera’s platform, we are developing the next generation of non-viral genetic therapies capable of selective delivery to multiple target organs in a safe and efficacious manner,” said Kenneth Greenberg, PhD, co-founder, and chief executive officer of SonoThera. “Our preclinical testing has demonstrated that the platform can address many of the key delivery challenges facing current gene therapy approaches.”

SonoThera’s ultrasound-guided platform uses sonoporation, a microbubble-mediated biophysical process to non-invasively deliver genetic payloads of diverse formats and sizes, selectively targeting a wide range of organs within the body. Unlike traditional gene therapies, the technology does not require viral vectors which can be immunogenic and lead to both safety and efficacy challenges.

“SonoThera’s development of an ultrasound-guided, nonviral gene platform aligns with our dedication to providing innovative, precision care and therapies to patients in order to improve their healthcare outcomes,” said Sigrid Fossheim, Global Ultrasound Product Leader at GE HealthCare’s Pharmaceutical Diagnostics unit. “We believe what SonoThera is developing has the potential to improve patient care by overcoming the current challenges of existing gene therapies.”

Terms of the licensing agreement were not disclosed. SonoThera is currently in preclinical development of its technology, preparing for Phase 1 clinical trials.

About SonoThera™

Founded by Drs. Kenneth Greenberg, Michael Davidson, and Steve Feinstein, SonoThera, Inc. is a biotechnology company dedicated to treating the root cause of human disease through genetic therapy. SonoThera is developing an ultrasound-guided, nonviral gene therapy platform and treatments designed to provide patients with the next generation of safe and effective genetic medicines. The platform utilizes sonoporation, a microbubble-mediated biophysical process to non-invasively deliver genetic payloads selectively targeting a wide range of organs within the body. SonoThera is headquartered in South San Francisco, California.

Visit www.sonothera.com to learn more.

Contacts

Investor Inquiries:
[email protected]

Media Inquiries:
McDougall Communications on behalf of SonoThera™
Elizabeth Harness, +1 585-435-7379, [email protected]