Alnylam amends R&D deal with Merck & Co

RNAi therapeutics specialist Alnylam Pharmaceuticals has amended its two existing collaboration agreements with fellow USA-based Merck & Co into a single ongoing collaboration. The revised terms provide the latter with a more active role in the development of RNAi therapeutics, and could see Alnylam receive milestone fees exceeding $120.0 million, as well as greater royalty revenues.

Under the revised agreement, the US drug major may participate at an earlier stage in the R&D of the nine new therapeutic targets that it will nominate, whereas under the previous terms it had the right to choose new targets for initial development. Merck noted that these new programs are in addition to the existing ones directed at the NOGO pathway on which the companies are already collaborating.

Cambridge, Massachussetts-based Alnylam may now select three of the nine programs as joint projects, which Merck will co-fund and participate in from the outset, thereby providing Alnylam with accelerated R&D funding for its efforts. Previously, the agreement was structured so that Merck's funding would not begin until after the completion of defined preclinical work.