Alnylam Announces Achievement of Key Milestone in Collaboration Agreement

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced the achievement of a milestone in its strategic alliance with Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Alnylam has initiated IND-enabling studies with an RNAi therapeutic clinical candidate that utilizes technology and intellectual property licensed exclusively from Isis.

Under the 2004 strategic alliance agreement, Alnylam obtained an exclusive license to Isis intellectual property for double-stranded oligonucleotide therapeutics that mediate RNAi, such as small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), in return for upfront cash payments, milestone payments, and royalties. The achievement of the development milestone demonstrates the importance of Isis technology for the advancement of RNAi therapeutics.

"The advancement of RNAi therapeutics into development stages has occurred at a rapid pace, in part due to the pioneering work of Isis across virtually all categories of oligonucleotide therapeutics," said Barry Greene, Chief Operating Officer of Alnylam. "Isis technology and intellectual property have proven to be critical components in developing siRNAs with needed 'drug-like' properties."