Shire has agreed to pay Sangamo BioSciences US$13 M upfront for the global rights to use the company’s zinc finger DNA-binding protein (ZFP) technology platform to develop therapies for haemophilia and other monogenic diseases. Sangamo will be responsible for all activities up to the submission of INDs and European CTAs for each product, while Shire will assume responsibility for clinical development and commercialisation. The deal is good news for Sangamo after it terminated development of its lead drug candidate SB-509 in October 2011 following disappointing Phase IIb trial results in diabetic neuropathy.