AbbVie and ADARx Pharmaceuticals Announce Collaboration and License Option Agreement to Develop Next-Generation siRNA Therapies Across Multiple Therapeutic Areas

AbbVie and ADARx Pharmaceuticals Announce Collaboration and License Option Agreement to Develop Next-Generation siRNA Therapies Across Multiple Therapeutic Areas

- Collaboration to leverage AbbVie's expertise in biotherapeutic drug development   and commercialization together with ADARx's proprietary RNA technology to advance next-generation siRNA therapies across neuroscience, immunology and oncology

- AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) and ADARx Pharmaceuticals, a late clinical-stage biotechnology company developing next-generation RNA therapeutics, today announced a collaboration and license option agreement to develop small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapeutics across multiple disease areas, including neuroscience, immunology and oncology.

siRNA represents a class of molecules capable of regulating gene expression and protein production. Unlike traditional modalities such as antibodies and small molecules, siRNA regulates the expression of genes. These molecules are designed to prevent the production of disease-causing proteins by targeting the messenger RNA (mRNA) that encodes for such proteins.

The strategic collaboration will leverage ADARx's RNA discovery expertise and proprietary siRNA technology, which has the potential to enable sustained and precise mRNA silencing. AbbVie will contribute its expertise in antibody engineering, antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) and tissue delivery approaches as appropriate, to augment ADARx's discovery efforts.

"siRNA is a promising genetic medicine approach for silencing disease-causing genes, but challenges still remain in targeting and delivering siRNA effectively," said Jonathon Sedgwick , Ph.D., senior vice president and global head, discovery research, AbbVie. "We are very pleased to collaborate with ADARx, leveraging their proprietary RNA technology alongside our antibody, ADC, and therapeutic area research and development expertise to bring siRNA forward as a potential novel therapeutic modality alongside our other established approaches. Together, we're committed to developing innovative solutions for difficult-to-treat diseases across neuroscience, immunology and oncology."

"This collaboration with AbbVie further validates the differentiated RNA technology that we have developed at ADARx and has the potential to unlock tremendous clinical and commercial potential across multiple disease areas. AbbVie's research and development expertise combined with its global commercial reach make them the ideal strategic collaborator to accelerate these programs for the potential benefit of patients worldwide," said Zhen Li , Ph.D., co-founder, president and chief executive officer of ADARx. "In addition to this strategic collaboration with AbbVie, ADARx continues to advance a deep pipeline of wholly-owned clinical-stage programs that span complement-mediated, cardiovascular and thrombotic diseases and various preclinical discovery programs including in obesity and neurodegeneration."

Under the terms of the agreement, ADARx will receive a $335 million upfront payment and will be eligible to receive several billion dollars in additional contingent payments including option-related fees and milestone payments, as well as tiered royalties.

About AbbVie

AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines and solutions that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas including immunology, oncology, neuroscience and eye care – and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com . Follow @abbvie on LinkedIn,   Facebook , Instagram , X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube.

About ADARx Pharmaceuticals

ADARx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a late clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to transforming cutting-edge science into next-generation RNA medicines across a wide range of therapeutic areas. Our goal is to control the expression of specific disease drivers with highly selective RNA targeted therapies, delivering life-changing treatments for patients with urgent unmet medical needs. We are focused on advancing and expanding a deep pipeline of highly potent, durable and selective RNA-targeted therapeutic candidates, initially developing our product candidates for the treatment of complement-mediated, genetic, cardiovascular, central nervous system and metabolic (obesity) diseases. Follow ADARx on LinkedIn .

Forward-Looking Statements

Some statements in this news release are, or may be considered, forward-looking statements for purposes of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "project" and similar expressions and uses of future or conditional verbs, generally identify forward-looking statements. AbbVie cautions that these forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, challenges to intellectual property, competition from other products, difficulties inherent in the research and development process, adverse litigation or government action, changes to laws and regulations applicable to our industry, the impact of global macroeconomic factors, such as economic downturns or uncertainty, international conflict, trade disputes and tariffs, and other uncertainties and risks associated with global business operations. Additional information about the economic, competitive, governmental, technological and other factors that may affect AbbVie's operations is set forth in Item 1A, "Risk Factors," of AbbVie's 2024 Annual Report on Form 10-K, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as updated by its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and in other documents that AbbVie subsequently files with the Securities and Exchange Commission that update, supplement or supersede such information. AbbVie undertakes no obligation, and specifically declines, to release publicly any revisions to forward-looking statements as a result of subsequent events or developments, except as required by law.

AbbVie

Media

Liz Tang, Ph.D.

liz.tang@abbvie.com

Investors

Liz Shea

liz.shea@abbvie.com

ADARx

Media

Teri Dahlman, Red House Communications

teri@redhousecomms.com

Investors

Ajim Tamboli, CFA

ir@adarx.com

AbbVie logo

Cision View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/abbvie-and-adarx-pharmaceuticals-announce-collaboration-and-license-option-agreement-to-develop-next-generation-sirna-therapies-across-multiple-therapeutic-areas-302454426.html

SOURCE AbbVie

News Provided by PR Newswire via QuoteMedia

ABBV:US
The Conversation (0)
AbbVie Inc.

AbbVie Inc.

AbbVie is a pharmaceutical company with a strong exposure to immunology and oncology. The firm's top drug, Humira, represents close to half of the company's current profits. The company was spun off from Abbott in early 2013. The recent acquisition of Allergan adds several new drugs in aesthetics and women's health.

HeartSciences Inc

HeartSciences Receives FDA Breakthrough Device Designation for MyoVista Insights AI-ECG Algorithm for Detecting Aortic Stenosis

Aortic Stenosis is a Serious and Widespread Condition; The AI-ECG Algorithm Offers a Powerful Diagnostic Solution Designed for Seamless Integration with Hospital EHR Systems

Keep reading...Show less
AbbVie Invites People Living with Migraine to Enter the Second Annual AbbVie Migraine Career Catalyst Award Contest to Support Their Professional Goals

AbbVie Invites People Living with Migraine to Enter the Second Annual AbbVie Migraine Career Catalyst Award Contest to Support Their Professional Goals

  • The AbbVie Migraine Career Catalyst Award™ contest is now open for entries, offering financial support to help winners pursue career and professional development goals.
  • As the only company with three approved products designed to meet patient needs across the spectrum of migraine, AbbVie is   committed to supporting the migraine community beyond treatment.
  • Migraine affects productivity and career growth—up to 90% of people with migraine report it interferes with their ability to function at work, highlighting the need for meaningful support beyond treatment.

- AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) today announced the second annual AbbVie Migraine Career Catalyst Award ™ contest is now accepting entries. AbbVie is proud to continue this nationwide initiative supporting people living with migraine by awarding 20 entrants with $2,500 each that they may use to pursue their personal, professional, and educational goals.

"Migraine can be an invisible barrier to success in the workplace where the condition is often misunderstood or stigmatized," said Carl Cincinnato , executive director, Migraine at Work, a nonprofit initiative under the World Health Education Foundation dedicated to improving workplace environments for individuals living with migraine. "Initiatives like the AbbVie Migraine Career Catalyst Award™ contest not only provide financial support but also serve as a powerful form of advocacy for people living with migraine."

News Provided by PR Newswire via QuoteMedia

Keep reading...Show less
AbbVie to Present at the Goldman Sachs 46th Annual Global Healthcare Conference

AbbVie to Present at the Goldman Sachs 46th Annual Global Healthcare Conference

AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) will participate in the Goldman Sachs 46th Annual Global Healthcare Conference on Tuesday, June 10, 2025 . Management will participate in a fireside chat at 10:20 a.m. Central time .

A live audio webcast of the presentation will be accessible through AbbVie's Investor Relations website at investors.abbvie.com . An archived edition of the session will be available later that day.

News Provided by PR Newswire via QuoteMedia

Keep reading...Show less
AbbVie Partners with Chicago Cubs on "Striking Out Cancer"

AbbVie Partners with Chicago Cubs on "Striking Out Cancer"

Chicago -based institutions aim to create greater awareness for cancer advocacy and to support non-profit cancer organizations

AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) announced a multi-year partnership with the Chicago Cubs to support people living with cancer through a campaign called "Striking Out Cancer" which starts today when the Chicago Cubs play the Cincinnati Reds. As part of the first year of the partnership, AbbVie will make a $233 donation for every strikeout by a Chicago Cubs pitcher at home during the 2025 regular season. The donation amount is in honor of the approximately 233 Americans diagnosed with cancer every hour, according to the American Cancer Society. 1

News Provided by PR Newswire via QuoteMedia

Keep reading...Show less
AbbVie Features New Data Across Difficult-to-Treat Solid Tumors and Blood Cancers at ASCO 2025, Highlighting Breadth and Depth of its Oncology Portfolio

AbbVie Features New Data Across Difficult-to-Treat Solid Tumors and Blood Cancers at ASCO 2025, Highlighting Breadth and Depth of its Oncology Portfolio

- Key oral presentations highlight new data from AbbVie's novel investigational antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) including telisotuzumab adizutecan (ABBV-400, Temab-A) in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), ABBV-706 in high-grade neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) and pivekimab sunirine (PVEK) in blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN).

AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) today announced that key data from its broad oncology portfolio will be showcased across multiple oral presentations and posters at the upcoming American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting ( May 30 - June 3, 2025 ). These new data highlight significant progress in AbbVie's robust oncology pipeline, across a range of difficult-to-treat solid tumors and blood cancers.

News Provided by PR Newswire via QuoteMedia

Keep reading...Show less
AbbVie and U of T Mississauga's SpinUp Announce Neuropeutics Inc as First AbbVie Biotech Innovators Award Recipient

AbbVie and U of T Mississauga's SpinUp Announce Neuropeutics Inc as First AbbVie Biotech Innovators Award Recipient

  • Following a national competition, AbbVie and SpinUp – the University of Toronto's lab-based, life sciences accelerator – announce Neuropeutics Inc as recipient of first AbbVie Biotech Innovators Award
  • Neuropeutics Inc receives a year of laboratory space and equipment at no cost, as well as access to support and mentorship

AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) in partnership with the University of Toronto's SpinUp, are pleased to announce Neuropeutics Inc as the recipient of the AbbVie Biotech Innovators Award, a national prize to help foster innovation and support growth in Canada's life sciences sector. Following a competitive selection process, the award, funded by AbbVie, has been granted to Neuropeutics Inc for developing small molecules preventing and reversing protein aggregation as therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases.

AbbVie Biotech Innovators Award. (CNW Group/AbbVie Canada)

"We are delighted to have this opportunity to collaborate with a global biopharmaceutical company such as AbbVie, and the University of Toronto's SpinUp, to advance Neuropeutics' therapeutic research and development across multiple neurodegenerative diseases. At Neuropeutics, we are committed to developing targeted therapies to extend neurodegenerative disease patients' survival and improve their quality of life. This award allows us to pursue that mission with greater momentum," said Dr. Marc Shenouda , CEO & Co-Founder of Neuropeutics Inc.

Neuropeutics Inc's scientific entrepreneurial spirit directly aligns with the mandate of the AbbVie Biotech Innovators Award to foster research, innovation and growth within Canada's life sciences sector. A hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases is protein aggregation. One such protein is TDP-43, a normally nuclear DNA/RNA binding protein, which in disease conditions becomes mislocalized and forms cytoplasmic aggregates causing neuronal toxicity. Neuropeutics Inc has developed a novel strategy to address diseases such as: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Frontotemporal dementia, Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease and Parkinson's disease.

"It was impressive and motivating to see the variety of entries and the calibre of early-stage biotech companies who applied for the Award. We thank all who participated in this life science competition," said Rami Fayed, Vice President and General Manager of AbbVie Canada. "After a rigorous evaluation process, it is with great pleasure that we are announcing that Neuropeutics has been named the recipient of the AbbVie Biotech Innovators Award for its pioneering work in neurodegenerative diseases. We look forward to supporting the journey of Neuropeutics, in collaboration with SpinUp, to accelerate their efforts to deliver life-changing innovation to patients."

"Congratulations to Neuropeutics on being the first AbbVie Biotech Innovators Award recipient, and welcome to SpinUp – the University of Toronto's wet lab incubator," said France Gagnon , Vice-Principal, Research and Innovation at the University of Toronto Mississauga. "This is the place where the potential of Neuropeutics' work in neurodegenerative diseases can be realized and the impact on life sciences can be game changing. We are pleased to collaborate with AbbVie, a global leader in the biopharmaceutical industry, to offer this unique opportunity to this competitively chosen startup."

The AbbVie Biotech Innovators Award was launched in 2024 in collaboration with SpinUp, a purpose-built laboratory for chemistry and biological work or wet lab incubator at the University of Toronto . The Award is to support early-stage Canadian biotechnology startup companies with the potential to generate transformational therapies in areas that align with AbbVie's therapeutic areas of focus: immunology, oncology, neuroscience, and eye care. Neuropeutics Inc will receive a year of laboratory space at no cost, in addition to access to SpinUp's core equipment, services, entrepreneurship programming, and research talent community at the University of Toronto . Neuropeutics Inc will also benefit from mentorship by AbbVie's scientific and business executives.

For more information on the AbbVie Biotech Innovators Award, please visit: https://spinup.utm.utoronto.ca/biotech-innovators-award/ .

About AbbVie
AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines and solutions that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas – immunology, oncology, neuroscience, and eye care – and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio.

For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.ca . Follow AbbVie Canada on Instagram or find us on LinkedIn .

About SpinUp
SpinUp is the first wet lab startup incubator at the University of Toronto , Canada's leading centre for learning and discovery and one of the world's top-two universities for health science productivity . SpinUp is purpose built to drive life science innovation. It offers early-stage start-ups access to outstanding and highly subsidized wet lab space, equipment, entrepreneurship programming and expertise at a brand new, state-of-the-art research facility at U of T's Mississauga campus. Visit our website at spinup.utm.utoronto.ca and connect with us on Instagram and LinkedIn .

SpinUp is proudly part of U of T Entrepreneurship , a network of 12 accelerators across three campuses. Over the past 10 years, this network has supported more than 1,200 capital-backed companies, which have created 17,000 jobs and raised $12 billion in external investment. U of T now launches more research-based start-ups than any university in North America outside of MIT . The AbbVie Biotech Innovators Award is part of U of T Mississauga's Blue Ticket program at SpinUp, which provides a one-year SpinUp membership.

About Neuropeutics Inc  
Neuropeutics is a for-profit Canadian pharmaceutical company developing targeted therapies to extend neurodegenerative disease patients' survival and improve their quality of life. To learn more, please visit us at www.neuropeutics.ca , contact us at info@neuropeutics.ca , and connect with us on LinkedIn .

Neuropeutics Inc CSO & co-founder Dr. Janice Robertson (left) and Dr. Marc Shenouda, CEO & Co-Founder. (CNW Group/AbbVie Canada)

SOURCE AbbVie Canada

Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/May2025/22/c0315.html

News Provided by Canada Newswire via QuoteMedia

Keep reading...Show less

Latest Press Releases

Related News

×