Alnylam expands RNAi commercialization deal in Europe

Alnylam is doubling down on a partnership to expand its commercial presence in Europe, as it forges ahead on former CEO John Maraganore’s mission to become a top-five biotech by the middle of the decade.

The company announced on Thursday that it’s expanding a five-year-running commercial partnership with Medison Pharma. While the duo initially paired up in 2019 to commercialize Alnylam’s RNA interference portfolio in Israel, they’re now adding Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia to the list.

“The expanded agreement with Medison is part of an existing model implemented in 2022 that focuses on how we sustainably and compliantly broaden the reach of our commercial medicines by working closely alongside our Partners,” Norton Oliveira, Alnylam’s senior VP and head of partner and emerging markets, told Endpoints News via email.

The financial terms of the partnership were not disclosed.

John Maraganore

Oliveira added that the move is in line with Alnylam’s “P5x25 strategy,” which Maraganore established back in 2021 in the hopes of becoming a top-five biotech by 2025. While Maraganore announced his plans to retire later that year, ending a 19-year career at the biotech he helped launch in 2002, his successor Yvonne Greenstreet continues to push toward that goal.

Alnylam boasts a handful of RNAi products, including Onpattro, Givlaari, Oxlumo and the closely watched Amvuttra. Back in October, the company pointed to the Inflation Reduction Act when it scrapped plans for a Phase III trial for Amvuttra in Stargardt disease, a rare genetic eye condition. The drug is already approved by the FDA to treat hereditary transthyretin-mediated (hATTR) amyloidosis, and should produce Phase III results in transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) with cardiomyopathy next year.

Meanwhile, Onpattro awaits an FDA advisory committee meeting to expand its label to treat patients with ATTR-CM, with a decision expected by Oct. 8.

Alnylam and Medison said in the news release on Thursday that Givlaari and Oxlumo are approved for reimbursement in Poland, and the teams will “work together to obtain additional reimbursements in the territories.”

“This successful collaboration led to a natural choice of Medison as Alnylam’s partner in additional markets in Central Eastern Europe and going forward Alnylam will benefit from Medison’s full suite of services in this region as well by leveraging Medison’s extensive existing capabilities on the ground,” Gil Gurfinkel, VP of corporate development at Medison, said in an email.

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