Biogen, City Therapeutics team up on RNAi CNS drugs

USA – Biogen has partnered with City Therapeutics in a deal worth over US$ 1 billion to co-develop new RNA interference (RNAi) therapies for central nervous system (CNS) disorders.

This marks City Therapeutics’ second major collaboration since its public debut in October.

The partnership will combine City’s next-generation RNAi engineering platform with Biogen’s drug delivery technologies.

The collaboration will initially focus on a single CNS disease target, leveraging City Therapeutics’ advanced RNAi engineering technologies and Biogen’s proprietary drug delivery systems.

Biogen will oversee investigational new drug (IND)-enabling studies, global clinical development, regulatory submissions, and commercialization efforts.

This marks Biogen’s first major RNAi partnership, reflecting its strategy to combine internal capabilities with external innovations in cutting-edge science.

Jane Grogan, Biogen’s Head of Research, described the deal as part of Biogen’s new strategy—blending in-house capabilities with cutting-edge external science to drive innovation.

Under the agreement, Biogen will pay US$ 16 million upfront and invest US$ 30 million for a minority equity stake in City Therapeutics.

If milestones are met, City could earn up to US$ 1 billion in additional payments, along with tiered royalties from future product sales.

Biogen will take the lead on all preclinical, clinical, regulatory, and commercialization activities. The agreement also gives Biogen the option to pursue an additional therapeutic target under similar terms.

For City Therapeutics, this deal represents their second major partnership since emerging from stealth mode, following a previous agreement with Bausch + Lomb to develop RNAi-based treatments for retinal diseases.