In addition, Isis has the potential to receive portions of future milestone and royalty payments. According to the company, this transaction further emphasizes the value of Isis’s innovation and the leadership role Isis has played in the field of nucleic acid based therapeutics.
In 2004, Isis and Alnylam entered into a strategic relationship in which Alnylam obtained an exclusive license to Isis’s intellectual property for double-stranded oligonucleotide therapeutics that mediate RNAi. In return, Isis received an upfront payment and financial participation in future transactions supported by Isis’ patents.
Stan Crooke, chairman and CEO of Isis Pharmaceuticals, said: “Isis has benefited substantially from Alnylam’s business development and financial successes. We look forward to additional successes from this valuable strategic relationship.”