Quince Therapeutics has announced a strategic partnership with Option Care Health, the nation's largest independent provider of home and ambulatory infusion services, to support the commercial development and launch of its lead asset, encapsulated dexamethasone sodium phosphate (eDSP), for the treatment of Ataxia-Telangiectasia (A-T).
The collaboration addresses a critical challenge in rare disease therapeutics: scaling patient access while managing operational complexity. With A-T affecting approximately 1,000 children in the U.S. and requiring frequent, long-term infusions, the partnership provides a comprehensive infrastructure solution for eDSP's potential commercialization.
Comprehensive Infrastructure for Rare Disease Access
Option Care Health's nationwide network includes more than 90 full-service pharmacies and 180-plus ambulatory infusion suites across the United States. This infrastructure is designed to dramatically enhance patient access to eDSP treatment through greater geographic flexibility, standardized patient journeys, and improved consistency across administration sites.
"We are very pleased to enter into a strategic partnership with Option Care Health that is designed to greatly improve the patient journey while also establishing an effective and efficient commercialization pathway for our highly innovative lead asset, eDSP," said Charles Ryan, J.D., Ph.D., Quince's President who manages several departments including Commercial.
The partnership offers several operational advantages over traditional rare disease distribution models. Rather than managing relationships with multiple individual academic centers of excellence, Quince will contract with a single provider, reducing logistical complexity and operational risk.
Phase 3 Trial Progress and Regulatory Pathway
eDSP is currently being evaluated in the Phase 3 NEAT trial for A-T, a rare neurodegenerative disorder with no approved treatments. The trial has enrolled 105 patients, with 83 in the primary six-to-nine-year-old cohort, and is powered to detect statistically significant improvements in neurological outcomes.
Topline results from the NEAT trial are expected in Q1 2026, with an NDA filing planned for late 2026 if data proves positive. The FDA has granted eDSP Fast Track designation and Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) agreement, providing regulatory support for what could become the first approved therapy for A-T.
Enhanced Service Capabilities and Data Management
The strategic relationship extends beyond basic distribution and administration services. Option Care Health will provide comprehensive support including third-party logistics (3PL) and inventory distribution management, program management, customized patient registration and hub support, clinician-delivered services, physician reporting, and data collection and reporting.
These capabilities enable real-time tracking of patient outcomes, streamlined clinician reporting, and compliance with payer requirements. The data collection and reporting functions could support post-marketing studies, addressing potential payer concerns about long-term efficacy.
Expansion Potential Beyond A-T
The partnership positions Quince for potential expansion into additional rare disease markets. eDSP's encapsulation technology, which delivers corticosteroids via autologous red blood cells, has shown potential in preclinical models of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).
DMD affects approximately 12,000 U.S. patients and represents a significant market opportunity. eDSP's unique mechanism of reducing inflammation while avoiding systemic corticosteroid side effects could position it as a complementary or alternative therapy in this competitive landscape.
"As a leading provider in the treatment of rare and orphan diseases, our organization is honored to have been selected by Quince as its specialty infusion therapy partner," said Eric Daugherty, Senior Vice President, Biopharma Relations, of Option Care Health. "Together, we are committed to making their novel eDSP asset accessible for patients with A-T across the U.S. as Quince readies for commercial launch."
Strategic Risk Mitigation
The partnership provides several risk mitigation benefits for Quince's commercialization strategy. By leveraging Option Care Health's existing infrastructure, the company avoids costly infrastructure investments while benefiting from the provider's experience in negotiating reimbursement for complex therapies, including gene and cell therapies.
This approach aligns with Quince's capital constraints and provides operational efficiency that could be critical for successful market entry. The partnership model shifts the company's potential revenue structure from a capital-intensive biotech to a scalable, partnership-driven biopharma approach.
