Lilly Strengthens Neuro Pipeline with $45M Deal for QurAlis’ Preclinical ALS and Dementia Treatment

1. Deal Details: Eli Lilly has acquired the rights to QurAlis' preclinical treatment, QRL-204, for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) for $45 million upfront and up to $577 million in milestones.
2. Treatment Mechanism: QRL-204 is a splice-switching antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) designed to restore UNC13A function, which is linked to ALS and FTD.
3. UNC13A Implication: UNC13A variants are implicated in roughly two-thirds of ALS cases and one-third of FTD cases.
4. Lilly's Neuro Pipeline: This deal expands Lilly's presence in the ALS and FTD spaces, following previous acquisitions and partnerships, including Disarm Therapeutics, Verge Genomics, Prevail Therapeutics, and Arkuda Therapeutics.
5. QurAlis Platform: The biotech's platform is designed to create splice-switching ASOs with improved potency and increased therapeutic index, which will be used to identify and develop additional therapies targeting UNC13A.