Genuity Science, a genomics and data insights organization and Ionis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: IONS), the leader in antisense therapeutics, today announced a broad, multi-year collaboration aimed at accelerating the discovery and development of innovative therapeutics across a range of up to 20 diseases. The collaboration is expected to play an important role in allowing Ionis to continue delivering transformational medicines to patients for many years to come.
Genuity Science’s approach combines high-quality, whole-genome sequence and deep phenotype data resulting in better definition of the underlying disease mechanisms. This approach, when coupled with Ionis’ proprietary antisense technology, has the potential to significantly expedite the drug development process through a more direct translation of targets into therapeutics.
Under terms of the multi-year collaboration, Genuity Science will receive a combination of upfront payments and development milestones, plus product royalties.
“Ionis’ financial strength and the success of our validated antisense technology have positioned us to invest in new technologies that enhance our R&D capabilities,” said Brett P. Monia, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Ionis. “The collaboration with Genuity Science gives us the potential to significantly increase our discovery opportunities and better understand the complexities of human diseases based on genetics.”
“We are excited to collaborate with an innovative company like Ionis,” said Rob Brainin, chief executive officer of Genuity Science. “Combining the scale and depth of our datasets and our analytical expertise with Ionis’ pioneering antisense technology can more rapidly translate information into insights with potential to deliver breakthrough therapies to even more patients who need them.”
