collaborations
Current Partnerships
AstraZeneca
In 2007, Silence signed a multi-year, multi-target collaboration agreement with AstraZeneca. At the time, AstraZeneca paid an upfront of $15 million and agreed on milestone payments of up to $400 million plus royalties. The three-year collaboration is designed to discover and develop proprietary siRNA molecules against up to five specific targets provided by AstraZeneca. Silence and AstraZeneca will jointly collaborate in the early phase of identification and optimization of novel siRNA molecules. AstraZeneca retains responsibility for the clinical development and commercialization. The agreement is primarily in the respiratory field but includes an option to allow for targets that extend the collaboration into other disease areas of interest to AstraZeneca. In July 2010 the two companies agreed to an extension of this ongoing collaboration.
Additionally, Silence and AstraZeneca entered into a second, separate small interfering RNA (siRNA) delivery collaboration in March 2008. Under this collaboration, the companies are leveraging a number of Silence’s proprietary lipid delivery and targeting technologies to develop new and enhanced delivery approaches for RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics. Under terms of the agreement, both companies retain the right to commercialize the novel delivery solutions that emerge from the collaboration. In April 2010, the two companies agreed to an extension for this ongoing collaboration.
Dainippon Sumitomo
In August 2009, Silence entered into a small interfering RNA (siRNA) delivery collaboration with Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd. Under this collaboration, the companies are leveraging Silence’s proprietary siRNA molecules and multiple lipid delivery and targeting technologies to demonstrate functional delivery of RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics to specific disease targets in the body. In March 2010, the two companies agreed to expand the collaboration to include additional disease targets selected by Dainippon Sumitomo. So far, Silence has received upfront payments of $2 million.
Quark Pharmaceuticals/Pfizer
In 2004, Quark Pharmaceuticals and Silence entered a collaboration to discover AtuRNAi lead compounds against RTP801. In this program, Quark is contributing the disease-specific expertise, while Silence Therapeutics is contributing its siRNA know-how and intellectual property. In 2006, Pfizer in-licensed this compound (since renamed PF-4523655) for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy and other indications. As part of this collaboration, Silence may receive milestone payments of up to $95million plus royalties.
PF-4523655 is currently in two separate Phase II clinical trials for the treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Quark Pharmaceuticals/Novartis
Under a separate option and license agreement with Silence, Quark has in-licensed non-exclusive rights from Silence for its compound QPI-1002, a p53 temporary inhibitor siRNA drug which incorporates Silence’s AtuRNAi technology.
In August 2010, Quark granted an option to Novartis to obtain an exclusive worldwide license to develop and commercialize QPI-1002. Under the terms of Silence’s agreement with Quark, Silence’s future milestone payments from this program could potentially amount to up to $82 million.
Quark is currently conducting a Phase II clinical trial of QPI-1002 in the prevention of delayed graft function in kidney transplant patients and a Phase II trial in the prevention of acute kidney injury in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.