WILMINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul. 30, 2024-- Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE: CRL) announced today a collaboration with the FOXG1 Research Foundation (FRF) highlighting the patient advocacy group’s model to independently drive drug development through the clinical phase. The parent-led global organization driving the research to cure FOXG1 syndrome and related neurological disorders will collaborate with Charles River in a comprehensive gene therapy contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) agreement.

“Charles River is proud to work with the FOXG1 Research Foundation to advance its gene-therapy through clinical trials,” said Kerstin Dolph, Corporate Senior Vice President, Global Manufacturing, Charles River. “The FOXG1 patient population has an incredible unmet need, and we are looking forward to lending our expertise to FRF as they continue to trailblaze a path toward providing rare disease treatments.

Groundbreaking Study Shows Promise in AAV9 Gene Therapy for FOXG1 Syndrome; Rescue of Brain Structure Abnormalities and Deficits.

[Buffalo, New York June 10, 2024] – A landmark study led by Dr. Soo-Kyung Lee, Chief Scientific Officer at the FOXG1 Research Foundation and Empire Innovation Professor and Om P. Bahl Endowed Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at University at Buffalo, and Dr. Jae Lee, Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at University at Buffalo, in collaboration with Dr. Kathrin Meyer (responsible for the SMA gene therapy), has been published in Molecular Therapy Methods & Clinical Development.

The FOXG1 Research Foundation is thrilled to share a recap of our participation at the 2024 American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT) conference in Baltimore. This conference marked a significant milestone for our foundation, truly a "coming out party" to Pharma for our commitment to developing a gene therapy for FOXG1 syndrome.

The FOXG1 Research Foundation is happy to share our 2024 Q2 update on FOXG1 Research and Development from our Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Soo-Kyung Lee and our Chief Drug Development Officer, Dr. Gai Ayalon.

FOXG1 Research Foundation Co-founder and CEO Nasha Fitter was the first spotlight speaker at the White House Rare Disease Forum hosted by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy's Health Outcomes Team February 28th ahead of Rare Disease Day 2024.

FOXG1 Research Foundation’s Nasha Fitter is a featured speaker at the White House Rare Disease Forum hosted by the The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy will host a forum marking Rare Disease Day and highlighting the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to supporting patients and families facing a rare disease and delivering progress against the nearly 10,000 known rare diseases that impact up to 30 million Americans. Nasha Fitter will be speaking about the issues with rare disease drug development and share her personal story about her daughter with FOXG1 syndrome.

February 12th is World Epilepsy Day, and epilepsy is one of the most debilitating characteristics of FOXG1 syndrome. According to the FOXG1 syndrome patient registry study, more than 61% of FOXG1 patients suffer with seizures.

We want to share this wonderful resource from The Epilepsy Foundation. More.

University at Buffalo announces the launch of the FOXG1 Research Center to study FOXG1 syndrome’s impact on brain development and translate research to treatments for FOXG1 syndrome. The FOXG1 Research Center will be led by leading experts Soo-Kyung and Jae Lee, whose own daughter has FOXG1 syndrome.

“This center will make UB the home of the world’s premier research center devoted to the studies of FOXG1 syndrome, as well as provide our campus with a new neurodevelopmental biology training program and numerous research funding opportunities,” says Soo-Kyung Lee, PhD, Empire Innovation Professor and Om P. Bahl Endowed Professor in the UB Department of Biological Sciences, who will serve as the FRC’s inaugural director as well as the Chief Scientific Officer of the FOXG1 Research Foundation.

2023 marked six years of the FOXG1 Research Foundation. We are a parent-driven, global foundation with the mission to help improve the lives of every person affected by FOXG1 syndrome worldwide. We are known in the industry as innovators as we  focus on three equally critical areas: FOXG1 science, FOXG1 patient data, and FOXG1 patients and community. From advancing our gene therapy program to building our own bioinformatics platform, to helping guide parents through the rare disease medical caregiver journey, this year has been a year of upward progress in all three areas. Here are the FOXG1 Research Foundation highlights from 2023 and goals for 2024.