Passage Bio is a US-based gene therapy company focused on developing transformative treatments for central nervous system disorders. Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Passage Bio leverages strategic partnerships with the University of Pennsylvania's Gene Therapy Program and exclusive licensing of next-generation AAV capsids to develop treatments for rare monogenic CNS diseases and common neurodegenerative disorders[1].
The company's lead programs target Parkinson's disease in patients with glucocerebrosidase (GBA1) mutations, a significant genetic risk factor for Parkinson's disease. Their AAVhu68 capsid technology enables enhanced delivery to the brain compared to standard approaches[2].
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Ticker | NASDAQ: PASG |
| Founded | 2019 |
| Headquarters | Philadelphia, PA |
| CEO | William G. H. Chou |
| Status | Public |
| Market Cap | ~$20 million (2026) |
| Employees | ~70 |
| Round | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Series A | 2019 | $55 million |
| Series B | 2020 | $110 million |
| IPO | 2020 | $130 million |
Passage Bio has an exclusive collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania's Gene Therapy Program, led by Dr. James M. Wilson. This partnership provides:
Investment banking partnership for financial strategy and capital markets guidance.
PBFT02 is Passage Bio's lead clinical program for Parkinson's disease patients with GBA1 mutations[3].
Beyond Parkinson's, Passage Bio is developing treatments for rare genetic disorders:
Preclinical pipeline includes:
Passage Bio's proprietary AAVhu68 capsid offers significant advantages over standard AAV9[4]:
Passage Bio has established in-house GMP manufacturing capabilities in Philadelphia, enabling:
The Phase 1 IMAGINE trial is evaluating PBFT02 in Parkinson's disease patients with GBA1 mutations:
Primary Endpoints:
Patient Population:
Status: Enrolling (as of 2024)
| Company | Drug | Mechanism | Indication | Phase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prevail/Lilly | PR001 | AAV-GBA | PD-GBA | Phase 1/2 |
| uniQure | AAV-GBA | AAV-GBA | PD-GBA | Phase 1 |
| Spark/Roche | -- | -- | -- | Preclinical |