Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Biogen, Isis to collaborate on neuromuscular treatment

By Michelle Lang

Biogen Idec Inc. will be paying at least $29 million, and potentially up to $299 million, to Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc. for an exclusive worldwide collaboration deal pertaining to the development of a spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) treatment.

Per terms of the agreement, Isis’ antisense investigational drug, ISIS-SMNRx, will be used by the companies for its potential ability to offset the genetic defect found in infants to cause SMA, a neuromuscular disease in which muscles atrophy and weaken in infants. The disease is said to be the primary genetic cause of infant mortality.

Weston-based Biogen will pay Carlsbad, Calif.-based Isis a $29 million up front payment for the use of ISIS-SMNRx. It may add on up to $45 million in milestone payments to Isis for clinical trial development, in which Biogen may opt to license the drug candidate through the completion of its Phase 2/3 trial. Regulatory milestones and a licensing fee could tack on another $225 million that Biogen would pay Isis, if the drug target is approved. The collaboration calls for Isis to oversee global development of ISIS-SMNRx through Phase 2/3 trials, unless Biogen opts to take over this responsibility, with the Cambridge biotech giving input on clinical trial design and regulatory strategy, the companies said in a news release today.