Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche (RO.SW, ROG.SW, RHHBY.PK) and Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc (ISIS) have formed an alliance to develop treatments for Huntington's disease or HD based on Isis' antisense oligonucleotide or ASO technology. This alliance combines Isis' antisense expertise with Roche's scientific expertise in developing neurodegenerative therapeutics. Further, Isis and Roche would collaborate to combine Isis' ASOs and Roche's proprietary "brain shuttle" program with the aim of increasing the brain penetration of ASOs with systemic administration.
Huntington's disease is an inherited genetic brain disorder that results in the progressive loss of both mental faculties and physical control.
As part of the deal, Roche would make an upfront payment of $30 million to Isis, with total payments related to license fee and pre- and post-licensing milestone payments reaching potentially $362 million, including up to $80 million in potential commercial milestone payments. Furthermore, Isis would receive tiered royalties on sales of the drugs.
The company said the research would initially focus on Isis' lead drug candidate that blocks production of all forms of the huntingtin or HTT protein, the protein responsible for HD and thus has the potential to treat all HD patients. Also, Isis is conducting research into treatments that specifically block production of the disease-causing forms of the HTT protein which has the potential to treat subsets of HD patients.
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