Voyager Therapeutics has entered into an option agreement with Novartis to license next-generation adeno-associated virus capsids for gene therapies targeting undisclosed neurological diseases. The deal, worth up to US$1.65 B, will leverage Voyager’s RNA-driven capsid discovery platform and will initially focus on three CNS targets, with Novartis holding the option to license up to two additional capsids in the future. The agreement comes shortly after Voyager’s US$630 M deal with Pfizer, also focused on its capsid delivery technology, as the biotech attempts to turnaround its luck following a string of development setbacks.