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The Associated Press
NEW YORK — Drug maker Regulus Therapeutics LLC said Thursday it is expanding a partnership with (NYSE: GSK), and will begin researching new treatments for hepatitis C.
Regulus said it will identify a potential drug candidate in late 2010, and file an application with the Food and Drug Administration in 2011. Regulus said it could get more than $150 million from the new collaboration, along with royalty payments of up to 10 percent on sales of any drugs developed under the agreement.
Regulus is a joint venture between Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and Isis Pharmaceuticals. It develops drugs that use microRNA technology, which can turn parts of genes on or off to treat diseases.
GlaxoSmithKline, which maintains its U.S. headquarters in Research Triangle Park, N.C., and Regulus began collaborating in 2008 to develop four treatments for inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. Regulus could get more than $600 million from that deal, along with royalty payments on sales.
Isis is based in Carlsbad, Calif., and Alnylam is headquartered in Cambridge, Mass.
