Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals Sells Rights to Sanofi for Plozasiran in Greater China

Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals has entered into an asset purchase agreement with Sanofi, granting an exclusive license for Sanofi to develop and commercialize the company's cardiometabolic treatment, plozasiran, in Greater China. The deal is intended to expand Arrowhead's reach in the region and provide Sanofi with a new treatment option for cardiometabolic diseases.

Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARWR) and Sanofi have entered into a significant asset purchase agreement, granting Sanofi an exclusive license to develop and commercialize Arrowhead's investigational cardiometabolic treatment, plozasiran, in Greater China. The deal is aimed at expanding Arrowhead's reach in the region and providing Sanofi with a new treatment option for cardiometabolic diseases [1].

Under the terms of the agreement, Sanofi will pay an upfront payment of $130 million to Visirna Therapeutics, a majority-owned subsidiary of Arrowhead. Additionally, Sanofi will be eligible to receive milestone payments of up to $265 million upon approval of plozasiran across various indications in mainland China. Arrowhead will also receive royalties on net commercial product sales in Greater China as part of the Arrowhead-Visirna license, which was assigned to Sanofi [1].

Plozasiran, previously known as ARO-APOC3, is a first-in-class RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutic designed to reduce production of apolipoprotein C-III (APOC3), a component of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (TRLs) and a key regulator of triglyceride metabolism. The goal of treatment with plozasiran is to reduce the level of APOC3, thereby reducing triglycerides and restoring lipids to more normal levels. Visirna Therapeutics has completed a Phase 3 clinical trial of plozasiran in Chinese patients with familial chylomicronemia syndrome (FCS), which successfully met its primary efficacy endpoint and all key secondary endpoints. The drug has also been granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation and Priority Review Designation by the China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) [1].

Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals develops medicines that treat intractable diseases by silencing the genes that cause them. Using a broad portfolio of RNA chemistries and efficient modes of delivery, Arrowhead therapies trigger the RNA interference mechanism to induce rapid, deep, and durable knockdown of target genes. This partnership with Sanofi is a strategic move to expand the reach of Arrowhead's innovative cardiometabolic treatments in the Greater China market, which is expected to have a significant impact on both companies' portfolios [1].

References:
[1] Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (2025). Arrowhead Subsidiary Visirna Sells Rights to Hypertriglyceridemia. Retrieved from https://ir.arrowheadpharma.com/news-releases/news-release-details/arrowhead-subsidiary-visirna-sells-rights-hypertriglyceridemia