Regeneron collaborates with Alnylam to develop RNAi therapies

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals will collaborate to develop and commercialize new RNA interference therapies for ocular and central nervous system diseases, the companies announced in a press release.

Regeneron will lead development and commercialization for all eye disease programs, paying milestone and royalty payments to Alnylam under the terms of the agreement. The companies will work together and alternate leadership on CNS programs, the release said.

Regeneron will make an upfront payment of $400 million and purchase $400 million of Alnylam equity at $90 per share. Alnylam could receive up to an additional $200 million in milestone payments.

“At Regeneron we believe the best use of our resources is to invest in potentially game-changing science that will yield innovative medicines for patients with serious diseases. This collaboration couples proven and emerging RNAi technology, which holds important promise in many diseases, with Regeneron’s world-leading genetics research and target discovery engine,” George D. Yancopoulos, MD, PhD, Regeneron’s president and chief scientific officer, said in the release. “This collaboration enables us to reach targets inside the cell, complementing our expertise in antibodies, which are ideal for extracellular targets and those on the cell surface. Through the [Regeneron Genetics Center] and our other research groups, we are already identifying additional targets that may be well-suited for RNAi-based drug development, particularly in the eye and CNS.”