Roche Partners with Alnylam on $2.8B Deal for Hypertension Therapy Zilebesiran

Roche will pay Alnylam $310M upfront and up to $2.5B in milestones for the RNAi therapy zilebesiran.
Zilebesiran aims to lower blood pressure through a new mechanism of action that inhibits a protein involved in hypertension.
The companies will jointly commercialize the drug in the US, with Roche having exclusive rights elsewhere.
Early data from mid-stage trials of zilebesiran are expected in early 2023.
The deal leverages each company's expertise and provides a significant opportunity in the large hypertension market.