Sarepta Therapeutics and Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals Enter $825M Global Licensing and Collaboration Agreement for Multiple siRNA Programs

Agreement Details:
Sarepta Therapeutics has entered a global licensing and collaboration agreement with Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals for multiple siRNA programs targeting muscle, CNS, and rare pulmonary disorders. The deal includes a $500 million upfront payment and a $325 million equity investment at a 35% premium to Arrowhead, plus future milestone payments and royalties[1][2][3].

Programs Included:
The agreement covers four clinical-stage and three preclinical-stage programs, including ARO-ATXN2 for spinocerebellar ataxia 2 (SCA2), ARO-ATXN1 for SCA1, ARO-ATXN3 for SCA3, and ARO-HTT for Huntington's disease[2][3].

Discovery Partnership:
Sarepta and Arrowhead have also entered a discovery partnership for six new targets across skeletal muscle, cardiac, and CNS areas. Arrowhead will perform discovery and preclinical development, and Sarepta will have exclusive licensing rights to these programs[2][3].

Financial Impact:
The transaction is expected to close in early 2025 and extends Arrowhead’s cash runway into 2028. Sarepta’s Board of Directors has approved a $500 million share repurchase program[1][2][3].

Strategic Significance:
The collaboration leverages Arrowhead’s leading Targeted RNAi Molecule (TRiM) platform and complements Sarepta’s gene therapy and gene editing capabilities, aiming to rapidly advance new treatments for devastating genetic diseases[2][3].