AstraZeneca has licensed a drug (IONIS-AZ6-2.5-LRx) from Ionis Pharmaceuticals, a Carlsbad, California-based pharmaceutical company, for treating nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a liver disease, following advancement of the drug into development.

IONIS-AZ6-2.5-LRx is designed to inhibit an undisclosed target to treat patients with NASH. In conjunction with this milestone, AstraZeneca will pay a $30-million license fee to Ionis. AstraZeneca will be responsible for further development and commercialization of IONIS-AZ6-2.5-LRx.

As IONIS-AZ6-2.5-LRx advances in development, Ionis may also receive up to $300 million in additional development and regulatory milestone payments as well as tiered royalties up to the low teens from sales of the drug.

Source: Ionis Pharmaceuticals