Arrowhead Enters $3.7 Bln License And Collaboration Deals With Janssen

(RTTNews) - Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals Inc. (ARWR) said that it reached a license and collaboration agreement with Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., part of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, to develop and commercialize ARO-HBV.

In addition, Arrowhead entered into a research collaboration and option agreement with Janssen to potentially collaborate for up to three additional RNA interference or RNAi therapeutics against new targets to be selected by Janssen. The transactions have a combined potential value of over $3.7 billion for Arrowhead.

As per the terms of the agreement, Arrowhead will receive $175 million as an upfront payment. Separately, Johnson & Johnson Innovation - JJDC Inc. will make a $75 million equity investment in Arrowhead at a price of $23.00 per share of Arrowhead common stock.

Arrowhead is eligible to receive up to about $1.6 billion in milestone payments for the HBV license agreement, including a $50 million milestone payment linked to a Phase 2 study. Arrowhead is also eligible to receive about $1.9 billion in option and milestone payments for the collaboration agreement related to up to three additional targets. Arrowhead is further eligible to receive tiered royalties up to mid teens on product sales.

As per the agreement, Janssen receives a worldwide exclusive license to the ARO-HBV program, Arrowhead's third-generation subcutaneously administered RNAi therapeutic candidate being developed as a potentially curative therapy for patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection. Beyond AROHBV1001, Arrowhead's ongoing Phase 1/2 study of ARO-HBV, Janssen will be wholly responsible for clinical development and commercialization.

Janssen can also select up to three new targets, against which Arrowhead will develop clinical candidates. These potential new candidates will leverage Arrowhead's proprietary TRiM platform, and do not include Arrowhead's current pipeline.

Arrowhead noted that it will perform discovery, optimization, and preclinical development, entirely funded by Janssen, sufficient to allow the filing of a U.S. Investigational New Drug application or equivalent, at which time Janssen will have the option to take an exclusive license. If the option is exercised, Janssen will be wholly responsible for clinical development and commercialization.

The closing of the transactions is subject to clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, and is expected to close during the fourth quarter of 2018.