Ipsen Enters Collaboration with Skyhawk for RNA-Targeted Therapies for Neurological Diseases

Rare Daily Staff

Ipsen said it entered into an exclusive, worldwide collaboration to discover and develop small molecules that modulate RNA for rare neurological diseases.

Under the terms of the agreement, Skyhawk is eligible to receive up to $1.8 billion in upfront, development, regulatory, and commercial milestones, plus the potential for tiered royalties.

The agreement includes an option for Ipsen to acquire exclusive license for the worldwide rights to develop successful development candidates. Following development candidate validation, Ipsen will assume responsibility for further development and commercialization, leveraging its existing expertise in movement disorders.

Skyhawk’s platform technology accelerates building RNA-targeting small molecules across several therapeutic areas, including rare neurological diseases. The technology allows for the exploration of previously undruggable RNA targets with small molecules, expanding the disease target landscape, the companies said.

“Our strategic partnership underscores our shared ambition to develop transformative medicines for people with rare neurological diseases for which there are no approved therapeutics,” said Sergey Paushkin, Chief Scientific Officer at Skyhawk.