The Burrill Report

The Burrill Report (September 4, 2012): Alnylam Plants Its RNAi Technology with Monsanto (.MP3,19.31 Mb)

Alnylam has been working to develop a new class of therapeutics that harnesses RNA interference, a naturally occurring biological process to regulate genes. But a new strategic alliance with the agbio giant Monsanto is pushing the technology into new uses. The agreement gives Monsanto worldwide exclusive rights to use Alnylam’s technology and intellectual property over a 10-year period. In exchange, Alnylam gets $29.2 million in upfront payments, as well as potential milestones and royalties. We spoke to Laurence Reid, chief business officer of Alnylam, about the agreement, how Monsanto is expected to use the technology, and what it means for advancing Alnylam’s own efforts in therapeutics development.

August 31, 2012
http://www.burrillreport.com/article-alnylam_plants_its_rnai_technology_with_monsanto.html