Arrowhead Pharmaceuticalsand Novartis have entered into a global licensing and collaboration agreement for ARO-SNCA, a preclinical-stage RNA interference (RNAi) therapy aimed at treating synucleinopathies like Parkinson’s Disease. This agreement grants Novartis an exclusive worldwide license to develop, manufacture, and commercialize ARO-SNCA, as well as additional targets that will be developed using Arrowhead’s proprietary TRiM™ platform. Upon the deal's closing, Arrowhead will receive an upfront payment of $200 million. Furthermore, the company is eligible to receive up to $2 billion in potential milestone payments plus tiered royalties on commercial sales, which could reach the low double digits.

The collaboration will leverage Arrowhead’s TRiM™ platform, which has shown promising preclinical results in delivering therapies to deep brain regions after subcutaneous administration.

The agreement outlines that Arrowhead will complete the necessary preclinical research to enable a clinical trial application (CTA) filing, after which Novartis will take full control of the development, manufacturing, and commercialization of the programs. Both companies expressed their commitment to addressing neurodegenerative diseases, with Novartis citing the potential of Arrowhead’s technology to effectively deliver RNA medicines to the brain, a challenge that has historically been difficult to overcome. The transaction is anticipated to close in the latter half of 2025, pending regulatory approval.