Friday, February 10, 2023
AbbVie and Anima Biotech (Anima) have formed a partnership, to find and develop mRNA biology modulators for three oncology and immunology targets.
The partners will find novel mRNA biology modulators for the cooperation targets using Anima's mRNA Lightning platform, with AbbVie obtaining exclusive rights to license, further develop, and market the programmes.
As part of the deal, Anima will receive an upfront payment of US $42 million. In addition, Anima may be eligible to receive up to $540 million in option fees, research and development milestones, commercial milestones, and tiered royalties on net sales for the three objectives.
Although AbbVie will also have the choice to extend the agreement with up to three more targets under the same conditions, possibly raising the partnership’s worth.
Modulation of mRNA biology with small molecules is a novel strategy that has the potential to address "undruggable" targets and have ramifications for numerous therapeutic fields. Phenotypic screening and AI-driven elucidation of the mechanisms of action are combined in "Anima's differentiating approach in the realm of small molecule mRNA medicines."
