A roundup of bio/pharmaceutical partnering news from Novartis/Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals and Roche/OMass Therapeutics. 

* Novartis, Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals in $2.2-Bn Parkinson’s Disease Drug Pact
* Roche, OMass in $420-M deal for IBD program 

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Novartis, Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals in $2.2-Bn Parkinson’s Disease Drug Pact 
Novartis and Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, a Pasadena, California-based bio/pharmaceutical company, have entered a global licensing and collaboration agreement for ARO-SNCA, Arrowhead’s therapy for Parkinson’s disease, and for other additional collaboration targets that will use Arrowhead’s proprietary Targeted RNAi Molecule (TRiM) platform, in a deal worth up to $2.2 billion ($200 million upfront and $2 billion in milestone payments).  

ARO-SNCA is Arrowhead’s preclinical stage siRNA therapy against alpha-synuclein for the treatment of synucleinopathies, such as Parkinson’s disease. Under the agreement, Novartis will receive an exclusive worldwide license to research, develop, manufacture, and commercialize ARO-SNCA. Novartis will select additional collaboration targets outside of Arrowhead’s current pipeline to be developed using Arrowhead’s TRiM platform. 

For all licensed programs under the agreement, Arrowhead will conduct and complete preclinical research activities necessary to enable a clinical trial application filing. Novartis will then assume sole control over development, manufacturing, medical affairs, and commercialization activities. 

Upon closing, Novartis will make a $200-million upfront payment to Arrowhead. Arrowhead is also eligible to receive development, regulatory, and sales milestone payments of up to $2 billion. Arrowhead is further eligible to receive tiered royalties on commercial sales up to the low double digits. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2025, subject to the expiration or termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 and other customary conditions. 

Source: Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals 

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Roche, OMass in $420-M deal for Small-Molecule IBD program 
Roche’s Genentech and OMass Therapeutics, an Oxford, UK-based bio/pharmaceutical company, have entered into an exclusive collaboration and license agreement for the rights to develop and commercialize OMass’ preclinical oral small-molecule program for inflammatory bowel disease, in a deal worth up to $420 million ($20 million upfront and $400 million in milestone payments). 

Under the agreement, OMass will receive an upfront payment of $20 million, plus additional potential preclinical, development, commercial, and net sales milestone payments of more than $400 million. OMass is also eligible for tiered royalties on net sales. Under the collaboration, OMass will lead the initial preclinical development of the program until candidate selection. Genentech will be responsible for clinical development, regulatory activities, manufacturing and commercialization. 

Source: OMass Therapeutics