Novartis has agreed to acquire clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, Regulus Therapeutics.
The US-based company specialises in the development of microRNA therapeutics for patients with orphan kidney diseases.
Through this acquisition, Novartis will gain access to the company's lead asset, farabursen — a next-generation oligonucleotide targeting miR-17.
The targeted therapeutic is currently in development for the treatment of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), which is estimated to affect 12 million people globally.
Regulus Therapeutics' core focus aligns strongly with Novartis' recent shift towards the therapeutic area of renal disease, noted the company's President of Development and Chief Medical Officer, Shreeram Aradhye:
"Building on a 40-year legacy that began with innovations in transplantation, Novartis is dedicated to transforming kidney health by addressing conditions with significant unmet need."
"With limited treatment options currently available for patients suffering from ADPKD, farabursen represents a potential first-in-class medicine with a profilethat may provide enhanced efficacy, tolerability and safety versus standard of care."
Farabursen is an investigational microRNA inhibitor engineered to target miR-17 with preferential kidney exposure that aims to reduce the growth of cysts and kidney size.
It is also supposed to delay progression of disease severity in ADPKD.
Phase Ib trial data has demonstrated promising clinical safety and efficacy, impacting urinary polycystin and height-adjusted total kidney volume.