CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) -- Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc. said Monday it received $10 million from Japanese drugmaker Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. as part of the companies' collaboration on gene-silencing drugs.
Alnylam is transferring RNA interference drug technology to Takeda as part of the partnership, which began in May 2008. Not counting Monday's payment, Alnylam said it has received $140 million in payments from Takeda over that time. The partnership could be worth more than $1 billion in total and also includes options that would allow Alnylam to help market RNA drugs in the U.S. and split the U.S. profits with Takeda.
Drugs using RNA interference technology, or RNAi, are designed to shut down the proteins at the root of a disease or condition.
Shares of Alnylam fell 25 cents, or 2.7 percent, to $9.14 in afternoon trading.