Licensing agreement to advance RNA-targeting meds for neurological conditions

A French biotechnology company has announced a global license agreement with a California-based biotech firm to utilize the former’s platform technology for delivery of RNA-targeted therapeutics.

According to a release from Vect-Horus, terms of the agreement stipulate that Ionis Pharmaceuticals has an option to add additional targets to the license for the medicines, which will be able to cross the blood-brain barrier and address locations of interest in the central nervous system, while Vect-Horus retains the rights to use that technology for all non-RNA-targeted medicines.

“We are extremely pleased to partner with Ionis, a pioneer in RNA-targeted medicines, to tackle one of the toughest problems in RNA therapeutics, systemic delivery of therapeutics across the blood-brain barrier,” Vect-Horus co-founder and CEO Alexandre Tokay said in the release.

Further terms of the agreement cited in the release allow Vect-Horus to receive a double-digit million-dollar upfront payment, as well as eligibility to receive development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments along with tiered single digit royalties on annual product sales.

“With a proven track record of delivering first-in-class disease-modifying medicines for serious neurological diseases, we believe we are well-positioned to tackle the next frontier of delivery of neurology medicines across the blood-brain barrier,” Eric E. Swayze, PhD, Ionis’ executive vice president of research, said in the release.