Regeneron buddies up with Alnylam to develop therapies with Nobel-winning tech

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals is investing $800 million into a deal with Alnylam Pharmaceuticals to make treatments using an innovative gene-silencing approach. 

The partnership will focus on treatments using RNA interference (RNAi), a Nobel Prize-winning technology that can be used to silence a gene before it makes disease-causing proteins. In August, Alnylam snagged its first FDA approval using the technique for a medicine that treats tereditary transthyretin (TTR)-mediated amyloidosis — an inherited, progressively debilitating, and often fatal disease caused by mutations in the TTR gene.

Alnylam has a host of other treatments in its pipeline for various liver and cardio-related diseases. But the deal with Regeneron will specifically focus on drug candidates for the central nervous system and eyes.  

Regeneron is reportedly looking to bolster its portfolio as its blockbuster eye medication, Eylea, faces slowing sales growth. Regeneron, which will drop an upfront $400 million payment into the deal, will lead development and commercialization for eye treatments for the two companies. Pending certain milestones, Alnylam could receive an additional $400 million from the partnership. 

Read the full Reuters report.