Janssen, Arrowhead partner to develop HBV RNA interference therapy

Janssen Pharmaceuticals entered into an agreement with Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals for an exclusive, worldwide license to develop and commercialize ARO-HBV, a phase 1/2 subcutaneous ribonucleic acid interference therapy for hepatitis B, according to a press release.

Under the agreement, Arrowhead will complete the ongoing phase 1/2 trial for ARO-HBV and Janssen will lead clinical development from phase 2b onward. Additionally, Arrowhead will receive an initial upfront payment and potential future royalties.

“An important objective within Janssen is to develop highly effective combination products that cure people living with chronic hepatitis B infections,” Mathai Mammen, MD, PhD, global head of Janssen Research & Development, LLC, said in the release. “Working with the talented Arrowhead team and their RNAi therapy candidate adds to the strength of our hepatitis B portfolio and substantially increases our confidence that we can achieve our objective.”

According to the release, Janssen also agreed to use Arrowhead’s proprietary Targeted RNAi Molecule platform as part of a research collaboration to develop RNAi therapeutics.

The companies expect to close the agreement in the last quarter of 2018.

Reference: www.janssen.com