Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis has entered into a landmark licensing agreement worth up to $5.2 billion with China-based biotech Argo Biopharmaceutical, securing access to experimental cardiovascular drugs that leverage RNA interference (RNAi) technology to target disease-causing proteins.
The deal centers on Argo's lead candidate BW-00112, an RNAi therapeutic currently in mid-stage clinical development for severe hypertriglyceridemia. This condition leads to elevated levels of triglycerides, a type of fat in the blood that significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases including heart attack and stroke.
RNAi Technology Platform
Argo develops therapeutics using RNA interference technology to silence genes that contribute to disease or render them ineffective. According to Shaun Coughlin, Global Head of Cardiovascular and Metabolism at Novartis Biomedical Research, Argo's candidates are "designed to deeply and durably target disease-causing proteins, represent an important paradigm shift in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases."
The RNAi approach has shown promise in cardiovascular medicine, with Alnylam's vutrisiran (branded as Amvuttra) already approved in the U.S. to treat transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy, a rare and deadly heart disease.
Financial Structure and Terms
Under the agreement covering sales outside China, Argo will receive an upfront payment of $160 million, with the potential for up to $5.2 billion in milestone payments and royalties on future sales. The deal builds on Novartis' ongoing collaboration with Argo and includes the right of first negotiation for BW-00112.
Beyond the lead program, Novartis has secured options to license two discovery-stage drug candidates: one targeting severe hypertriglyceridemia and another for mixed dyslipidemia. The agreement also covers an additional RNA-based molecule expected to enter clinical trials next year.
Strategic Partnership Expansion
The comprehensive collaboration represents a significant expansion of the partnership between the two companies. According to Argo, the overall collaboration with Novartis adds up to more than $9 billion in downstream milestones, excluding royalties.
Novartis has also expressed a non-binding intention to participate in Argo's next round of equity financing, signaling deeper strategic alignment between the companies in advancing cardiovascular therapeutics.
The deal positions Novartis to capitalize on the growing potential of RNAi therapeutics in cardiovascular medicine, while providing Argo with substantial resources and global commercialization capabilities to advance its pipeline of genetic medicines targeting heart disease.
