Alnylam grants Calando RNAi license

By Elaine Rigoli

Tampa, Fla., Aug. 21 - Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has granted Calando Pharmaceuticals an InterfeRx license to discover, develop and commercialize an RNAi therapeutic using a synthetic siRNA, together exclusively with Calando's proprietary delivery technology, that is directed toward cancer targets.

As part of the agreement, Calando also has an option to acquire an InterfeRx license for a second target gene.

Detailed financial terms were not disclosed but include upfront, annual and milestone payments, and royalties on sales of any products covered by the licensing agreement.

"Alnylam established the InterfeRx licensing program to provide access to our leading intellectual property estate for disease targets in areas outside the scope of our current research. We are pleased to be granting this license to Calando to enable their efforts with Alnylam intellectual property, which we believe is critical for the development and commercialization of RNAi therapeutics," Alnylam president and chief executive officer John Maraganore said in a news release.

Calando is the seventh licensee for RNAi therapeutics under Alnylam patents and the fourth company to participate in its InterfeRx program, officials noted.

Calando, a majority-owned subsidiary of Arrowhead Research Corp., is based in Pasadena, Calif.

Alnylam is a biopharmaceutical company based in Cambridge, Mass.

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