Overview

• Novartis will pay $200 million upfront and up to roughly $2–$2.2 billion in milestones, plus royalties, for rights to Arrowhead’s preclinical siRNA therapy ARO‑SNCA.
• Arrowhead granted an exclusive global license as Novartis also gains the option to select additional targets outside Arrowhead’s current pipeline.
• For licensed programs, Arrowhead will finish preclinical work to enable a clinical trial application, after which Novartis will take over development, manufacturing, medical affairs, and commercialization.
• ARO‑SNCA targets alpha‑synuclein for Parkinson’s and other synucleinopathies, leveraging Arrowhead’s TRiM platform that the companies say has shown preclinical CNS delivery after subcutaneous dosing.
• The deal follows recent alpha‑synuclein setbacks including Novartis and UCB’s Phase IIa failure, while Arrowhead’s shares rose on the news as the company awaits an FDA decision on a separate rare‑disease filing.