Isis Pharma Collaborates With Janssen Biotech To Develop Antisense Drugs

(RTTNews) - Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc. (ISIS) announced the company has entered into a global collaboration with Janssen Biotech, Inc. to discover and develop antisense drugs to treat autoimmune disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. Under the agreement, which covers three programs, Isis will receive $35 million in upfront payments, including a payment to initiate human lead optimization on the first collaboration target. Isis is eligible to receive nearly $800 million in development, regulatory and sales milestone payments and license fees for these programs. Isis will also receive tiered royalties that on average are double-digits on sales from any product that is successfully commercialized.

Janssen has the option to license a drug from each of the programs once a development candidate is identified. If Janssen exercises its option, it will assume global development, regulatory and commercialization responsibilities.

The collaboration brings together Isis' RNA-targeted technology platform and the expertise of Janssen in autoimmune disorders and therapeutic formulation to discover and develop antisense drugs.