RNAi treatment for hypertension developed by Alnylam and Roche
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals has announced that it has entered a strategic agreement with Roche for the development and commercialisation of zilebesiran, Alnylam’s investigational RNAi therapeutic for the treatment of hypertension in patients with high cardiovascular risk.
The drug is currently in phase 2 of its development, with this partnership allowing for additional development aiming to disrupt the hypertension treatment paradigm globally.
Under the terms of the agreement, Alnylam is expected to receive an upfront payment of $310m and will be eligible to receive further milestone payments in the coming years.
Yvonne Greenstreet MBChB, Alnylam’s CEO, commented: “We are thrilled to announce this collaboration, as it combines Alnylam’s proven track record in RNAi therapeutics with Roche’s global commercial reach, commitment to innovation and desire to transform the landscape for patients with severe cardiovascular diseases. With this collaboration, we now can develop zilebesiran in a more robust way, allowing us to have cardiovascular outcomes data in hand at launch to ensure results relevant not only for health authorities but also for access and clinical practice in order to ultimately reach as many patients as possible.”
Teresa Graham, CEO of Roche Pharma, added: “We are excited to work together with Alnylam and leverage our strong R&D capabilities, our leadership in cardiovascular diagnostics and our global commercial footprint to further develop and provide this promising therapy with best-in-disease potential to patients. Throughout our history, we have redefined the standard of care across various disease areas. Together with a strong partner like Alnylam, we are looking forward to making a significant impact for patients living with hypertension at high cardiovascular risk and potentially other cardiovascular indications.”