Boehringer Ingelheim and Dicerna Pharmaceuticals have signed an agreement to discover and develop new GalXC RNAi therapeutics to treat chronic liver diseases.

As part of the research collaboration and licence agreement, the companies will initially focus on non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a chronic liver disease for which no approved treatment option is in place.

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The disease is caused due to the accumulation of fat in the liver, potentially leading to liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. It is expected to become the most common cause of advanced liver disorders.

Dicerna Pharmaceuticals president and CEO Douglas Fambrough said: “We believe that Dicerna’s GalXC technology platform is ideally suited for the development of novel RNAi therapies for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and other chronic liver diseases.

“This partnership complements our existing research efforts and expertise and offers distinct advantages in developing exciting new therapy options.”

“With strong capabilities in drug discovery, deep expertise in the cardiometabolic space, and proven commercial experience, Boehringer Ingelheim is a natural partner to speed the development of the first GalXC RNAi programme targeting chronic liver disease.”

The GalXC technology platform of Dicerna uses RNAi to inhibit the expression of disease-causing genes by destroying the messenger RNAs (mRNAs) of those genes.

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Boehringer Ingelheim Discovery Research corporate senior vice-president Clive Wood said: “This partnership complements our existing research efforts and expertise and offers distinct advantages in developing exciting new therapy options.”

Under the deal, Dicerna may receive more than $200m from Boehringer, including an upfront payment, development and commercial milestone payments.

In addition, the company may receive research and development reimbursement for a GalXC candidate product addressing an undisclosed NASH target.