Ionis Pharma Expands Partnership with AstraZeneca to Include Exclusive Rights to Commercialize Eplontersen in Latin America

Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that it has expanded its existing collaboration with AstraZeneca to include AstraZeneca's exclusive rights to commercialise eplontersen in Latin America. Ionis previously granted AstraZeneca exclusive rights to commercialise eplontersen in all countries other than the United States. Ionis and AstraZeneca will continue to collaborate on the development and commercialization of eplontersen in the United States.

By combining Ionis' industry-leading expertise in RNA-targeted therapeutics and deep knowledge of transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) with AstraZeneca's global cardiovascular commercial capabilities, the companies are successfully advancing eplontersen. Ionis discovered Eplontersen, an investigational antisense medicine that reduces the production of transthyretin protein (TTR) to treat ATTR, a systemic, progressive, and fatal disease.

"The positive clinical results from our phase 3 NEURO-TTRansform study, combined with eplontersen's self-administration profile, reinforce eplontersen's potential to be an important and differentiated new treatment option for patients with ATTR," said Ionis CEO Brett P. Monia Ph.D. "With the FDA's review of eplontersen for ATTR polyneuropathy already underway, and plans to file for regulatory approval in the EU and other countries later this year, today's agreement underscores our shared commitment to ensuring that this much-needed treatment is made available to patients around the world."

AstraZeneca paid Ionis $20 million to license eplontersen in Latin America. Ionis is eligible for up to $3.6 billion in milestone and other payments under the terms of the collaboration agreement. The collaboration includes cost-sharing provisions tailored to each territory. Ionis is also eligible for royalties ranging from the low double digits to the mid-20s, depending on region. For more than 30 years, Ionis has been a leader in RNA-targeted therapy, pioneering new markets and changing standards of care. Ionis currently has four marketed medicines and a promising late-stage pipeline highlighted by cardiovascular and neurological franchises.