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news.Tekmira Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company, has announced that it expects to receive a minimum of $11.2 million over the next three years from its partner Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company, for process development and manufacturing services.
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This commitment is part of Tekmira’s manufacturing relationship with Alnylam through Phase II clinical development for RNAi therapeutics that utilize Tekmira’s stable nucleic acid-lipid particles (SNALP) technology, including Alnylam’s clinical-stage product candidate ALN-VSP. The manufacturing and development funding is in addition to ongoing research activities between the two companies and in addition to any milestone payments that may be received from Alnylam.
Under the Tekmira-Alnylam partnership, Tekmira is eligible to receive up to $16 million in milestones on each and every RNAi therapeutic advanced by Alnylam or its partners that utilizes Tekmira’s technology, as well as royalties on product sales.
Alnylam has previously filed an investigational new drug application with the FDA for approval to begin human clinical trials for ALN-VSP. ALN-VSP is being developed as a treatment for liver cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma and other solid tumors with liver involvement. ALN-VSP will be the first RNAi therapeutic using Tekmira’s SNALP technology to be evaluated in humans, the company said.
Mark Murray, president and CEO of Tekmira, said: This manufacturing and development funding underlines Alnylam’s commitment to our partnership and to utilizing our leading SNALP delivery technology for multiple RNAi therapeutic product candidates.