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CURRENT REPORT
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| Item 7.01 | Regulation FD Disclosure. |
From time to time, the Company presents and/or distributes slides and presentations to the investment community to provide updates and summaries of its business. On September 9, 2020, the Company updated its corporate presentation, which is available on the “For Investors & Media” section of the Company’s website at http://ir.wavelifesciences.com/. This presentation is also furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.
The information in this Item 7.01 shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as expressly set forth by specific reference in such a filing.
| Item 9.01 | Financial Statements and Exhibits. |
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| 99.1 | Corporate Presentation of Wave Life Sciences Ltd. dated September 9, 2020 | |
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document) | |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| WAVE LIFE SCIENCES LTD. | ||
| By: | /s/ Paul B. Bolno, M.D. | |
| Paul B. Bolno, M.D. | ||
| President and Chief Executive Officer | ||
Date: September 9, 2020
Wave Life Sciences Corporate Presentation September 9, 2020 Exhibit 99.1
Forward-looking statements This document contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this document, including statements regarding possible or assumed future results of operations, preclinical and clinical studies, business strategies, research and development plans, collaborations and partnerships, regulatory activities and timing thereof, competitive position, potential growth opportunities, use of proceeds and the effects of competition are forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Wave Life Sciences Ltd. (the “Company”) to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “aim,” “anticipate,” “could,” “intend,” “target,” “project,” “contemplate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions. The forward-looking statements in this presentation are only predictions. The Company has based these forward-looking statements largely on its current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that it believes may affect the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this presentation and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including those listed under Risk Factors in the Company’s Form 10-K and other filings with the SEC, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified and some of which are beyond the Company’s control. The events and circumstances reflected in the Company’s forward-looking statements may not be achieved or occur, and actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Moreover, the Company operates in a dynamic industry and economy. New risk factors and uncertainties may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for management to predict all risk factors and uncertainties that the Company may face. Except as required by applicable law, the Company does not plan to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements contained herein, whether as a result of any new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise.
Building a leading genetic medicines company Innovative platform Stereopure oligonucleotides Novel backbone modifications (PN chemistry) Allele-selectivity Multiple modalities (silencing, splicing, ADAR editing) Strong IP position1 Foundation of NEUROLOGY programs Huntington’s disease ALS / FTD Ataxias Parkinson’s disease Alzheimer’s disease Clinical development expertise Multiple global clinical trials ongoing across eight countries Innovative trial designs Manufacturing Established internal manufacturing capabilities to produce oligonucleotides at scale ALS: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; FTD: Frontotemporal dementia 1stereopure oligonucleotides and novel backbone chemistry modifications Wave’s drug discovery and development platform
PRISM has unlocked novel and proprietary advances in oligonucleotide design Backbone modifications Sugar modifications Drug approvals (FDA) 1975 2020 2000 Mixtures of 2n molecules1 ~500,000 different molecules per dose fomivirsen pegaptanib Phosphorothioate (PS) mipomersen nusinersen PN backbone chemistry Backbone stereochemistry 2’-4’-cEt 2’-O-methyl 2’-F 2’-4’-LNA 1n=number of chiral centers 2’-MOE Phosphorodiamidate Morpholino (PMO) eteplirsen golodirsen givosiran patisiran inotersen viltolarsen
THERAPEUTIC AREA TARGET DISCOVERY PRECLINICAL CLINICAL ESTIMATED U.S. PREVALENCE* PARTNER Huntington’s disease WVE-120101 mHTT SNP1 ~10,000 / ~35,000 Takeda 50:50 option WVE-120102 mHTT SNP2 ~10,000 / ~35,000 Takeda 50:50 option WVE-003 mHTT SNP3 ~8,000 / ~30,000 Takeda 50:50 option ALS and FTD WVE-004 C9orf72 ~2,000 (ALS) ~10,000 (FTD) Takeda 50:50 option SCA3 ATXN3 ~4,500 Takeda 50:50 option CNS diseases Multiple† Takeda milestones & royalties ADAR editing Multiple 100% global ADAR editing Undisclosed 100% global Retinal diseases USH2A and RhoP23H 100% global NEUROLOGY HEPATIC OPTHALMOLOGY Phase 1b/2a and OLE Phase 1b/2a and OLE Innovative pipeline led by neurology programs *Estimates of U.S. prevalence and addressable population by target based on publicly available data and are approximate; for Huntington’s disease, numbers approximate manifest and pre-manifest populations, respectively. †During a four-year term, Wave and Takeda may collaborate on up to six preclinical targets at any one time. ALS: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; FTD: Frontotemporal dementia; SCA3: Spinocerebellar ataxia 3 CNS: Central nervous system; OLE: Open-label extension
HD portfolio WVE-120101, WVE-120102, WVE-003 Huntington’s Disease
Huntington’s disease: a hereditary, fatal disorder Sources: Auerbach W, et al. Hum Mol Genet. 2001;10:2515-2523. Dragatsis I, et al. Nat Genet. 2000;26:300-306. Leavitt BR, et al. J Neurochem. 2006;96:1121-1129. Nasir J, et al. Cell. 1995;81:811-823. Reiner A, et al. J Neurosci. 2001;21:7608-7619. White JK, et al. Nat Genet. 1997;17:404-410. Zeitlin S, et al. Nat Genet. 1995;11:155-163. Carroll JB, et al. Mol Ther. 2011;19:2178-2185. HDSA ‘What is Huntington’s disease?’ https://hdsa.org/what-is-hd/overview-of-huntingtons-disease/ Accessed: 11/2/18.; Becanovic, K., et al., Nat Neurosci, 2015. 18(6): p. 807-16. Van Raamsdonk, J.M., et al., Hum Mol Genet, 2005. 14(10): p. 1379-92.; Van Raamsdonk, J.M., et al., BMC Neurosci, 2006. 7: p. 80. DNA CAG Repeat RNA wild-type (healthy) allele RNA mutant allele Normal CAG Repeat Expanded CAG Repeat Healthy protein (HTT) Mutant protein (mHTT) Neuro HD Autosomal dominant disease, characterized by cognitive decline, psychiatric illness and chorea; fatal No approved disease-modifying therapies Expanded CAG triplet repeat in HTT gene results in production of mutant huntingtin protein (mHTT); accumulation of mHTT causes progressive loss of neurons in the brain Wild-type (healthy) HTT protein critical for neuronal function; evidence suggests wild-type HTT loss of function plays a role in Huntington’s disease 30,000 people with Huntington’s disease in the US; another 200,000 at risk of developing the condition
Evidence suggests wild-type or healthy HTT is neuroprotective in an adult brain Transport of key neurotrophic factors such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are regulated by wtHTT levels Relative proportion of wild-type to mutant protein is critical Increased amount of wild-type protein relative to mutant HTT may result in slower disease progression (measured by age-at-onset) Patients with lack of wild-type have significantly more severe disease (measured by disease progression after symptom onset) Importance of wild-type huntingtin (wtHTT) in HD Neuro HD Huntington’s disease (HD) may be caused by a dominant gain of function in mutant HTT and a loss of function of wtHTT protein Sources: Van Raamsdonk, J.M., et al., Hum Mol Genet, 2005; Van Raamsdonk, J.M., et al., BMC Neurosci, 2006; Becanovic, K., et al., Nat Neurosci, 2015; Saudou, F. and S. Humbert, The Biology of Huntingtin. Neuron, 2016; Gauthier, L.R., et al., Cell, 2004; Caviston, J.P. and E.L. Holzbaur, Trends Cell Biol, 2009; Ho, L.W., et al., J Med Genet, 2001, Zuccato et al., Science 2001; Zuccato et al., Brain Pathol 2007; Marullo et al. Genome Biol 2010; Squitieri et. al, Brain 2003 BDNF TrkB ERK CREB transport BDNF Neuroprotection
Nature publication contributes to weight of evidence on importance of wild-type huntingtin Poplawski et al., Nature, April 2019; Htt: Huntingtin protein Conditional knock-out of Htt in 4-month old mice (post-neuronal development) Results suggest that: Htt plays a central role in the regenerating transcriptome (potentially influencing genes such as NFKB, STAT3, BDNF) Htt is essential for regeneration Indeed, conditional gene deletion showed that Htt is required for neuronal repair. Throughout life, neuronal maintenance and repair are essential to support adequate cellular functioning Neuro HD
Increasing evidence on the importance of wtHTT in HD pathogenesis, CNS and systemic health Striatum-specific defect in synaptic vesicle endocytosis that was not corrected by total lowering of HTT Corrected by overexpression of wild-type protein Striatal projection neurons require HTT for motor regulation, synaptic development, cell health, and survival during aging Loss of HTT function could play a critical role in HD pathogenesis wtHTT in HD highlighted at CHDI 15th Annual HD Therapeutics Conference: HTT LOWERING: EXPLORING DISTRIBUTION, TIMING, AND SAFETY (LOSS OF FUNCTION) Key points discussed at meeting: wtHTT has numerous critical functions throughout life (e.g., intracellular trafficking, cell-cell adhesion, BDNF transport) Near elimination of mouse wtHtt detrimental regardless of when suppression begins Specific brain regions, e.g., STN, may be particularly vulnerable to wtHTT lowering Mouse Htt lowering can lead to thalamic, hepatic, pancreatic toxicity HTT LoF mutations highly constrained in human population, suggesting selection against LoF mutations Recent publications on wtHTT LoF as a likely driver of HD pathogenesis LoF: Loss of function; wtHTT: wild-type huntingtin; HD: Huntington’s disease; STN: subthalamic nucleus Neuro HD
Wild-type HTT in the cortex appears critical for striatal health Presented by Dr. Frederic Saudou at Wave’s Analyst and Investor Research Day on October 7, 2019 Virlogeux et al., Cell Reports 2018 Neuro HD Neuron Type Genetic Status Compartment Cortical Striatal Network Status Functional Dysfunctional Post-synaptic Synaptic Presynaptic Status of the presynaptic compartment determines the integrity of the network
Utilize association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and genetic mutations to specifically target errors in genetic disorders, including Huntington’s disease (HD) Potential to provide treatment for up to 80% of HD population Wave approach: novel, allele-selective silencing Source: Kay, et al. Personalized gene silencing therapeutics for Huntington disease. Clin Genet. 2014;86:29–36. Neuro HD Aims to lower mHTT transcript while leaving healthy wild-type HTT relatively intact Allele-selectivity possible by targeting SNPs associated with expanded long CAG repeat in HTT gene RNase H and ASO:RNA RNA mutant allele
WVE-120101: Selective reduction of mHTT mRNA and protein Reporter Cell Line* Neuro HD Source: Meena, Zboray L, Svrzikapa N, et al. Selectivity and biodistribution of WVE-120101, a potential antisense oligonucleotide therapy for the treatment of Huntington’s disease. Paper presented at: 69th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology; April 28, 2017; Boston, MA.
Demonstrated delivery to brain tissue WVE-120101 and WVE-120102 distribution in cynomolgus non-human primate brain following intrathecal bolus injection In Situ Hybridization ViewRNA stained tissue Red dots are WVE-120102 oligonucleotide Arrow points to nuclear and perinuclear distribution of WVE-120102 in caudate nucleus Red dots are WVE-120101 oligonucleotide Arrow points to nuclear and perinuclear distribution of WVE- 120101 in cingulate cortex CIC = cingulate cortex In Situ Hybridization ViewRNA stained tissue Neuro HD CN = caudate nucleus Source: Meena, Zboray L, Svrzikapa N, et al. Selectivity and biodistribution of WVE-120101, a potential antisense oligonucleotide therapy for the treatment of Huntington’s disease. Paper presented at: 69th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology; April 28, 2017; Boston, MA.
Safety profile supported addition of higher dose cohorts PRECISION-HD clinical trials Single Dose Multidose 196 1 Washout CSF sample Dose 28 56 84 112 Study Day* 140 OLE 2 mg 4 mg 8 mg 16 mg 32 mg PRECISION-HD2 and PRECISION-HD1 data, including 32 mg cohorts and OLE data, expected in 1Q 2021 Multidose Cohorts (N = 12 per cohort) PRECISION-HD2 interim data (2-16 mg cohorts pooled) OLE: Open label extension; CSF: cerebrospinal fluid; mHTT: mutant huntingtin; wtHTT: wild-type HTT; tHTT: total HTT * Study day may vary depending on patient washout period 1Hodges-Lehmann non-parametric shift estimates of the difference between treatment and placebo, p<0.05 (Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney non-parametric significance test); 3 Multiple Contrast Test (MCT), p=0.03; Interim data announced December 2019 Biomarker Effects Two Phase 1b/2a clinical trials for WVE-120101 and WVE-120102 ongoing Patients are migrated to highest dose tested Reduction in mHTT (-12.4%1); Analysis across groups suggests dose response at highest doses3 No change in total HTT Not all patients had reached Day 140 at interim analysis Neuro HD
Three allele-selective HD programs Intend to explore efficacy in early manifest and pre-manifest HD patient populations Neuro HD Potential to address ~80% of HD patient population % Huntington’s Disease Patient Population with SNP SNP1 WVE-120101 SNP2 WVE-120102 SNP3 WVE-003 SNP1 SNP2 SNP1 SNP2 SNP3 ~50% ~50% ~40% ~70% ~80% +10% of HD patients vs. SNP1 + SNP2
WVE-003 (SNP3) approaching clinical development Knockdown persists for 12 weeks in BACHD mouse model CTA: clinical trial application; wtHTT: wild-type huntingtin; mHTT: mutant huntingtin [Figure on right] Statistics: All oligo treatment groups statistically significantly different from PBS; ***, P<0.005 Clinical development expected to initiate with CTA submission in 4Q 2020 Pan-silencing active comparator WVE-003 Relative HTT mRNA expression Log10 (µM compound concentration) Pan-silencing active comparator WVE-003 wtHTT mRNA Cortex Similar knockdown achieved in striatum Potent mutant HTT knockdown activity in homozygous iCell neurons No loss of selectivity with increasing concentrations mHTT mRNA Neuro HD
WVE-004 Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD)
C9orf72 repeat expansions: A critical genetic driver of ALS and FTD Normal (non-expanded) Allele < 25 GGGGCC repeats Expanded Allele Sources: DeJesus-Hernandez et al, Neuron, 2011. Renton et al, Neuron, 2011. Zhu et al, Nature Neuroscience, May 2020 Typically 100’s-1000’s of GGGGCC repeats C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat expansions (GGGGCC) are the strongest known risk factor for sporadic and inherited forms of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) The C9orf72 repeat expansions also lead to accumulation of repeat-containing transcripts, nuclear sequestration of RNA binding proteins and synthesis of toxic dipeptide-repeat (DPR) proteins The C9orf72 repeat expansions lead to reduced expression of wild-type C9orf72 and to cellular changes that reduce neuronal viability Neuro C9orf72
C9-ALS and C9-FTD: Manifestations of a clinical spectrum Disease C9 specific US population Mean disease duration Standard of care C9-ALS Fatal neurodegenerative disease Progressive degeneration of motor neurons in brain and spinal cord ~2,000 3.1 years Significant unmet need despite two approved therapies C9-FTD Progressive neuronal atrophy in frontal/temporal cortices Personality and behavioral changes, gradual impairment of language skills ~10,000 6.4 years No approved disease modifying therapies Two devastating diseases with a shared genetic basis ALS: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; FTD: Frontotemporal dementia Sources: Cammack et al, Neurology, October 2019. Moore et al, Lancet Neurology, February 2020 Neuro C9orf72
C9orf72 repeat expansions: Mechanisms of cellular toxicity C9-ALS and C9-FTD may be caused by multiple factors: Insufficient levels of C9orf72 protein Accumulation of repeat-containing RNA transcripts Accumulation of aberrantly translated DPR proteins Recent evidence suggests lowering C9orf72 protein exacerbates DPR-dependent toxicity Sources: Gitler et al, Brain Research, September 2016. Zhu et al, Nature Neuroscience, May 2020 Targeted by Wave ASOs Variant-selective targeting could address multiple potential drivers of toxicity Neuro C9orf72
Normal C9orf72 allele produces three mRNA transcripts (~80% are V2, ~20% are V1 and V3) Pathological allele with expanded repeat leads to healthy V2 and pathological V1 and V3 transcript by-products C9orf72 targeting strategy spares C9orf72 protein Wave C9orf72 candidate targets only V1 and V3 transcripts, sparing V2 transcripts and healthy C9orf72 protein pre-mRNA variants Pathological mRNA products V1 V2 Mis-spliced V1/V3 Stabilized intron1 V3 Disease-causing factors RNA foci Dipeptide repeat proteins (DPRs) GGGGCC expansion Accessible target for variant selectivity WVE-004 reduces Repeat-containing transcripts Neuro C9orf72
PN backbone chemistry: Improved potency among C9orf72-targeting oligonucleotides in vivo Exposure (µg/g) Exposure (µg/g) C9orf72 compounds Spinal cord Cortex PS/PO backbone PS/PO/PN backbone %C9orf72 V3 transcript remaining Mice received 2 x 50 ug ICV doses on days 0 & 7; mRNA from spinal cord and cortex quantified by PCR (Taqman assay) 8 weeks later. Oligonucleotide concentrations quantified by hybridization ELISA. Graphs show robust best fit lines with 95% confidence intervals (shading) for PK-PD analysis. Spinal Cord Neuro C9orf72
WVE-004: Potent and selective knockdown of repeat-containing transcripts in vitro V3 Dose (μM) All V WVE-004 NTC Dose (μM) In vitro activity in C9 patient-derived neurons WVE-004 NTC Dose (μM) IC50:201.7nM In vitro selectivity in C9 patient-derived neurons C9 patient-derived motor neurons were treated with C9orf72 candidate and NTC under gymnotic conditions up to 10uM. Taqman qPCR assays were used to evaluating V3 and all V transcripts. NTC- non-targeting control. Relative fold change C9orf72 V3/HPRT1 1.5 1.0 0.5 0.0 0.001 0.01 0.1 1 10 Relative fold change C9orf72 V3/HPRT1 0.016 0.08 0.4 2 10 0.016 0.08 0.4 2 10 0.016 0.08 0.4 2 10 0.016 0.08 0.4 2 10 1.5 1.0 0.5 0.0 1.5 1.0 0.5 0.0 Relative fold change C9orf72/HPRT1 Neuro C9orf72
2 4 8 week 2 4 8 Repeat-containing transcripts WVE-004 PBS Relative fold change C9orf72 V3/mHPRT 2 4 8 week 2 4 8 WVE-004: Potent and selective knockdown of repeat transcripts and DPRs Potent in vivo knockdown of repeat containing transcripts and DPRs Protein preservation Spinal Cord Cortex Repeat-containing transcripts WVE-004 PBS Relative fold change C9orf72 V3/mHPRT DPRs WVE-004 PBS WVE-004 WVE-004 Relative Poly-GP levels (normalized to PBS) Total C9orf72 protein (8 weeks) C9orf72/mHPRT/PBS NS DPRs WVE-004 PBS PBS PBS Relative Poly-GP levels (normalized to PBS) Total C9orf72 protein (8 weeks) C9orf72/mHPRT/PBS NS Experimental description: 2 x 50 ug on day 0 and day 7 dosed ICV; mRNA Samples were analyzed using quantitative PCR (Taqman assay), Dipeptide repeat proteins were measured by Poly-GP MSD assay. Protein samples were measured by Western Blot. NS: not significant 2 4 8 week 2 4 8 2 4 8 week 2 4 8 Neuro C9orf72
WVE-004 reaches target brain regions and cell types in vivo In situ hybridization: Red - ViewRNA for WVE-004; Blue – Hematoxylin. 40X magnification. C9 BAC transgenic mice were administered PBS or 50 ug of WVE-004, ICV, on day 0 and day 7. Mice were euthanized at 8 weeks after the first injection. Spinal cord PBS Control WVE-004 PBS Control WVE-004 Cortex In situ hybridization of WVE-004 in spinal cord and cortex at 8 weeks Neuro C9orf72
4 12 18 12 18 24 4 24 Durable knockdown of repeat transcripts in vivo after 6 months in spinal cord and cortex Spinal cord Cortex 1.0 0.5 0.0 Relative fold change C9orf72 V3/mHPRT1 WVE-004 PBS week 4 12 18 12 18 24 4 24 1.0 0.5 0.0 Relative fold change C9orf72 V3/mHPRT1 WVE-004 PBS week Experimental description: 2 x 50 ug on day 0 and day 7 dosed ICV; mRNA Samples were analyzed using quantitative PCR (Taqman assay) p≤0.0001 p≤0.0001 Neuro C9orf72
Durable knockdown of DPRs in vivo after 6 months in spinal cord and cortex 4 12 18 12 18 24 4 24 Spinal cord Cortex 1.5 0.5 0.0 WVE-004 PBS week 4 12 18 12 18 24 4 24 WVE-004 PBS week 1.0 Relative Poly-GP levels (normalized to PBS) 1.5 0.5 0.0 1.0 Experimental description: 2 x 50 ug on day 0 and day 7 dosed ICV; Dipeptide repeat proteins were measured by Poly-GP MSD assay. *: p≤ 0.05 **: P ≤ 0.01, ***: P ≤ 0.001 p≤0.0001 * *** ** Relative Poly-GP levels (normalized to PBS) Neuro C9orf72
WVE-004 proof-of-concept study to include both ALS and FTD patients Patients with documented C9orf72 expansion and confirmed ALS or FTD diagnosis Single and multiple ascending doses to be explored Safety and tolerability Pharmacodynamic effects on key biomarkers while on treatment PolyGP NfL Key exploratory clinical outcome measures ALSFRS-R and CDR-FTLD Clinical trial application expected to be submitted in 4Q 2020 NfL: neurofilament light chain; ALSFRS: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale; CDRFTLD: Clinical Dementia Scale – frontotemporal lobar degeneration Neuro C9orf72
Wave’s drug discovery and development platform
Through iterative analysis of in vitro and in vivo outcomes and artificial intelligence-driven predictive modeling, Wave continues to define design principles that are deployed across programs to rapidly develop and manufacture clinical candidates that meet pre-defined product profiles Multiple modalities Silencing | Splicing | ADAR editing DESIGN Unique ability to construct stereopure oligonucleotides with one defined and consistent profile Enables Wave to target genetically defined diseases with stereopure oligonucleotides across multiple therapeutic modalities OPTIMIZE A deep understanding of how the interplay among oligonucleotide sequence, chemistry, and backbone stereochemistry impacts key pharmacological properties SEQUENCE STEREOCHEMISTRY CHEMISTRY Sequence Stereochemistry Chemistry
Sequence Stereochemistry Chemistry PRISM platform enables rational drug design Chemistry R: 2’ modifications OMe, MOE, F, other modifications 5’ 2’ 3’ 5’ 3’ 2’ R X B B X: backbone chemistry Phosphodiester (PO), phosphorothioate (PS), other backbone modifications Sequence B: bases A, T, C, mC, G, U, other modified bases Stereochemistry Chiral control of any stereocenter 5’ modifications, backbone modifications
Backbone modification (X) Phosphodiester Phosphorothioate Phosphoramidate diester Stereochemistry Not chiral Chiral Chiral Charge Negative Negative Neutral Depiction PRISM backbone modifications Expanding repertoire of backbone modifications with novel PN backbone chemistry Molecule structure illustrative of backbone modification patterns Backbone linkages PS PO PN PO/PS PO/PS/PN Phosphoryl guanidine x-ray structure Stereorandom PS backbone Rp PS backbone Sp PN backbone Sp PN backbone Rp PN backbone Stereorandom
In vitro knockdown of PS/PO containing compounds compared to PS/PN compounds with same sequence Rational design using PN chemistry backbone modification increases potency on average Presented at Analyst & Investor Research Webcast on August 25, 2020; Left: Experiment was performed in iPSC-derived neurons in vitro; target mRNA levels were monitored using qPCR against a control gene (HPRT1) using a linear model equivalent of the DDCt method; Right: DMD patient-derived myoblasts treated with PS/PO or PS/PO/PN stereopure oligonucleotide under free-uptake conditions. Exon-skipping efficiency evaluated by qPCR. PS/PO compounds are rank-ordered on X-axis. Silencing PS/PO PS/PN Improved potency In vitro skipping efficiency of PS/PO containing compounds compared to PS/PO/PN compounds with same sequence % skipping Rank-order skipping (PS/PO) Splicing Improved skipping PS/PO PS/PO/PN
PRISM enables optimal placement of backbone stereochemistry Crystal structure confirms phosphate-binding pocket of RNase H binds 3’-SSR-5’ motif in stereopure oligonucleotide – supports design strategy for Wave oligonucleotides ASO/RNA duplex Yellow spheres represent ‘S’ atoms Phosphate binding pocket RNA cleavage site Target RNA Stereopure Oligonucleotide (C9orf72 compound) RNase H + +
Importance of controlling stereochemistry (Rp) (Sp) Top view Side view Yellow spheres represent ‘S’ atomsPS: Phosphorothioate Number of PS linkages in oligonucleotide backbone No. diastereomers 80T 60T 40T 20T 30B 22M 12M 2M 1M 500K 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 Antisense, exon skipping, ssRNAi ADAR oligonucleotide CRISPR guide Stereochemical diversity Exponential diversity arises from uncontrolled stereochemistry
ADAR editing
PRISM platform has unlocked ADAR editing A-to-I editing is one of most common post-transcriptional modifications ADAR is ubiquitously expressed across tissues, including liver and CNS ADAR Target RNA I(G) A Edited RNA Oligonucleotide establishes double-stranded RNA complex Oligonucleotide Modification Delivery Nishikura, K. A-to-I editing of coding and non-coding RNAs by ADARs. Nat. Rev. Mol. Cell Biol. 2016; Picardi, E. et al. Profiling RNA editing in human tissues: towards the inosinome Atlas. Scientific reports 5, 14941, doi:10.1038/srep14941 (2015). ADAR editing
No delivery vehicle required No exogenous proteins necessary Potential for reduced off-target effects PRISM enables practical approach to RNA editing without need for viruses or exogenous protein Intracellular Extracellular space Endogenous ADAR Unedited RNA Wave ADAR-editing Oligonucleotides Exogenous ADAR or other base editors Edited RNA Protein release/ expression Delivery vehicles Alternative Base-Editing Systems Edited RNA Genetic construct or foreign protein ADAR editing
ADAR amenable diseases represent a sizeable opportunity Nearly half of known human genetic pathogenic SNPs are G-to-A mutations Tens of thousands of potential disease variants A-to-I(G) editing could target1 ~48% C-to-T C-to-G A-to-T C-to-A A-to-C A-to-G Pathogenic human SNPs by base pair corrections >32,000 pathogenic human SNPs2 SNP: single nucleotide polymorphism A: Adenosine I: Inosine G: Guanosine 1ClinVar database 2Gaudeli NM et al. Nature (2017). ADAR editing
RNA editing opens many new therapeutic applications Fix nonsense and missense mutations that cannot be splice-corrected Remove stop mutations Prevent protein misfolding and aggregation Alter protein processing (e.g. protease cleavage sites) Protein-protein interactions domains Modulate signaling pathways miRNA target site modification Modifying upstream ORFs Modification of ubiquitination sites Restore protein function Recessive or dominant genetically defined diseases Modify protein function Ion channel permeability Protein upregulation Haploinsufficient diseases Examples: Examples: Examples: ADAR editing
Data from independent experiments; Total RNA was harvested, reverse transcribed to generate cDNA, and the editing target site was amplified by PCR and quantified by Sanger sequencing PN chemistry improves editing efficiency PN backbone modification increased both potency and editing efficiency in vitro ACTB editing in primary human hepatocytes using GalNAc-mediated uptake ADAR editing
Significant ADAR editing demonstrated in vitro in NHP and primary human hepatocytes NHP: non-human primate; ACTB: Beta-actin; nd= not determined Total RNA was harvested, reverse transcribed to generate cDNA, and the editing target site was amplified by PCR. In vitro dose-response human hepatocytes In vitro dose-response NHP hepatocytes % Editing % Editing ACTB 1 ACTB 2 ACTB 3 ACTB 1 ACTB 2 ACTB 3 ACTB GalNAc-conjugated oligonucleotides with stereopure PN chemistry modification ADAR editing
Efficient ADAR editing translated in vivo in non-human primate study NHP: non-human primate; ACTB: Beta-actin; Left: 5mg/kg SC: Day 1,2,3,4,5; Liver Biopsy for mRNA (ACTB Editing) & eASO Exposure: Day 7 Up to 50% editing efficiency observed at Day 7, 2 days post last dose Substantial and durable editing out to at least Day 50, 45 days post last dose In vivo editing in NHP following subcutaneous administration Oligonucleotide quantification in NHP following subcutaneous administration 2 days post last dose 45 days post last dose 2 days post last dose 45 days post last dose ACTB 1 ACTB 2 ACTB 3 ACTB 1 ACTB 2 ACTB 3 Untreated (pre dose) % Editing µg of oligonucleotide per gram of tissue ADAR editing
Sustained editing in vivo in non-human primates after 45 days % Editing quantified from Sanger sequencing using EditR program. Efficient and potent editing of ACTB demonstrated with Sanger sequencing T A G T G G T G G Baseline Post-treatment (2 days post-last dose) Post-treatment (45 days post-last dose) ACTB 2 ACTB 2 ACTB 2 ADAR editing
Editing site RNA editing within ACTB transcript (human hepatocytes) RNA editing within transcriptome (human hepatocytes) ADAR editing is highly specific Coverage Genome coordinates ACTB C 0% T 100% C 53.8% T 46.2% ACTB Confidence (LOD score) % Editing Mock Editing oligonucleotide Human hepatocytes were dosed with 1um oligonucleotide, 48 hours later RNA was collected and sent for RNA sequencing. RNAseq conducted using strand-specific libraries to quantify on-target ACTB editing and off-target editing in primary human hepatocytes; plotted circles represent sites with LOD>3 ADAR editing
Efficient and potent editing observed in neurons and astrocytes ACTB editing in iCell Neurons ACTB editing in human iCell Astrocytes Concentration (µM) % Editing % Editing Compound 2 (PS / PN) Compound 1 (PS / PN) Compound 3 (PS / PN) EC50: ~200-250nM Gymnotic uptake; Total RNA was harvested, reverse transcribed to generate cDNA, and the editing target site was amplified by PCR and quantified by Sanger sequencing Concentration (µM) ADAR editing
Opening the door to ADAR editing in CNS In vivo CNS editing in proprietary hADAR transgenic mouse (1 week) Editing oligonucleotide (100 µg) PBS % Editing UGP2 Cortex Hippocampus Striatum Brain stem Cerebellum Spinal cord hADAR: human ADAR; UGP2: Glucose Pyrophosphorylase 2; CNS: central nervous system; Editing observed across all tested tissues of human-ADAR-transgenic mice by ICV injection. 5 mice in each group were injected with PBS or a single 100uG dose on day 0. Animals were necropsied on day 7. RNA was harvested and editing measured by Sanger sequencing. First in vivo study in proprietary transgenic model yields efficient editing across all tissues ADAR editing
RNA editing design applicable across targets Data presented at 1st International Conference on Base Editing – Enzymes and Applications (Deaminet 2020); See poster for full dataset Editing achieved across several distinct RNA transcripts Supports potential for technology to be applied across variety of disease targets First ADAR editing program in hepatic indication expected to be announced in 2020 In vitro RNA Editing in Primary Human Hepatocytes ADAR editing
Ophthalmology
Stereopure oligonucleotides for inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) Wave ophthalmology opportunity Oligonucleotides can be administered by intravitreal (IVT) injection; targeting twice per year dosing Stereopure oligonucleotides open novel strategies in both dominant and recessive IRDs; potential for potent and durable effect with low immune response Successful targeting of MALAT1 is a surrogate for an ASO mechanism of action Widely expressed in many different cell types Only expressed in the nucleus Intravitreal injection Sources: Daiger S, et al. Clin Genet. 2013;84:132-141. Wong CH, et al. Biostatistics. 2018; DOI: 10.1093/biostatistics/kxx069. Athanasiou D, et al. Prog Retin Eye Res. 2018;62:1–23. Daiger S, et al. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. 2015;5:a017129. Verbakel S, et al. Prog Retin Eye Res. 2018:66:157-186.; Short, B.G.; Toxicology Pathology, Jan 2008. Ophthalmology
Durable Malat1 knockdown through 9 months with PN chemistry Compound or PBS (1 x 50 ug IVT) was delivered to C57BL6 mice. Relative percentage of Malat1 RNA in the posterior of the eye (retina, choroid, sclera) to PBS-treated mice is shown at 12, 20 and 36 weeks post-single injection. PBS = phosphate buffered saline; NTC= chemistry matched non-targeting control ~50% Malat1 knockdown at 36 weeks in the posterior of the eye PBS NTC PS/PO PS/PN % Malat1 expression Time (weeks) p≤0.01 Ophthalmology
Usher Syndrome Type 2A: a progressive vision loss disorder Autosomal recessive disease characterized by hearing loss at birth and progressive vision loss beginning in adolescence or adulthood Caused by mutations in USH2A gene (72 exons) that disrupt production of usherin protein in retina, leading to degeneration of the photoreceptors No approved disease-modifying therapies ~5,000 addressable patients in US Sources: Boughman et al., 1983. J Chron Dis. 36:595-603; Seyedahmadi et al., 2004. Exp Eye Res. 79:167-173; Liu et al., 2007. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 104:4413-4418. Oligonucleotides that promote USH2A exon 13 skipping may restore production of functional usherin protein Ophthalmology
Potent USH2A exon 13 skipping with stereopure compound in vitro and ex vivo Left: Compounds were added to Y79 cells under free-uptake conditions. Exon skipping was evaluated by Taqman assays. USH2A transcripts were normalized to SRSF9. Data are mean±s.d., n=2. Reference Compound: van Diepen et al. 2018. Antisense oligonucleotides for the treatment of eye disease. W02018055134A1. Compound-1 is a stereopure antisense oligonucleotide. Right: Whole NHP and human eyes were enucleated (n=4 and n=2, respectively) and compounds (1–20 µM) were added to extracted retinas under free-uptake conditions. Exon skipping was evaluated by 48 hrs later by Taqman assays on RNA. USH2A transcript levels were normalized to SRSF9. Data presented are mean± s.e.m. Enhanced potency over a stereorandom reference compound (in vitro) Ophthalmology Target engagement in NHP and human retinas (ex vivo) PBS NTC Compound-1 20 20 10 5 1 [µM] PBS NTC Compound-1 20 20 10 [µM] NHP Human
Allele-selective reduction of SNP-containing allele for adRP associated with Rhodopsin P23H mutation Ferrari et al., Current Genomics. 2011;12:238-249.; Reporter assays on a Wave stereopure sequence as well as a sequence described in WO2016138353A1: ASO and luciferase reporter plasmids (wild-type and mutant rhodopsin) are transfected into Cos7 cells. 48-hours later, cells are harvested, and relative luminescence is measured. Stereorandom Stereopure Collaborations in place for evaluation in transgenic human Rho P23H pig model In vivo Ophthalmology Retinitis pigmentosa (RP): group of rare, genetic eye disorders resulting in progressive photoreceptor cell death and gradual functional loss; currently no cure ~10% of US autosomal dominant RP cases are caused by the P23H mutation in the rhodopsin gene (RHO) Mutant P23H rhodopsin protein is thought to misfold and co-aggregate with wild-type rhodopsin, resulting in a gain-of-function or dominant negative effect in rod photoreceptor cells
Anticipated upcoming Wave milestones NEUROLOGY Huntington’s disease 4Q 2020: Initiate clinical development with CTA filing of SNP3 program 1Q 2021: PRECISION-HD2 data from 32 mg cohort and data from OLE trial 1Q 2021: PRECISION-HD1 data, including 32 mg cohort, and data from OLE trial ALS and FTD 4Q 2020: Initiate clinical development with CTA filing of C9orf72 program in ALS and FTD ADAR editing In vivo ADAR-mediated RNA editing data August 2020: Additional in vivo ADAR editing data at Research webcast 2020: Announce first ADAR editing program PRISM platform updates in 2020 Research webcast held August 25 (introduced PN chemistry) ü ALS: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; FTD: Frontotemporal dementia; CTA: clinical trial application; OLE: open-label extension ü ü
Realizing a brighter future for people affected by genetic diseases For more information: Kate Rausch, Investor Relations krausch@wavelifesci.com 617.949.4827