Sanofi Secures Greater China Rights to Visirna's APOC3-Targeting siRNA Drug Plozasiran in $395M Deal

On August 1, Sanofi announced that it had signed an asset purchase agreement with Visirna Therapeutics, a subsidiary of Arrowhead. Visirna Therapeutics is currently developing and commercializing four of Arrowhead's investigational cardiometabolic drug candidates in Greater China. According to the agreement, Sanofi will obtain the rights to develop and commercialize the investigational drug Plozasiran Sodium Injection in Greater China.

After the closing of the asset purchase agreement, Visirna Therapeutics will receive a $130 million upfront payment from Sanofi and will be eligible to receive up to an additional $265 million in milestone payments following the approval of various indications for Plerisan Sodium Injection in China. The total value of the collaboration is $395 million. Arrowhead is entitled to royalties on net sales of Plerisan Sodium Injection in the Greater China region.

The sodium injection of Pulrisiran is Arrowhead's first-in-class RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutic candidate, designed to reduce the production of apolipoprotein C-III (APOC3). In Greater China, it represents a potential treatment option for familial chylomicronemia syndrome (FCS) and severe hypertriglyceridemia (SHTG).

Visirna Therapeutics has completed a Phase III clinical trial (CTR20231418/NCT05902598) in China for its investigational drug volanesorsen sodium injection in the treatment of FCS patients. The trial successfully met the primary efficacy endpoint and all key secondary endpoints. Visirna subsequently submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) of China for volanesorsen sodium injection for the treatment of FCS, which was officially accepted by the NMPA on January 26, 2025. Volanesorsen sodium injection for the treatment of FCS has also received Breakthrough Therapy Designation and Priority Review status from the NMPA in China.

According to Visirna Therapeutics' official website, the company was founded in 2022 and has established a strategic partnership with Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ARWR), a leading international small nucleic acid drug company. The aim is to create China's first integrated platform focused on the research, development, production, and sales of small nucleic acid drugs. Currently, the company has three small nucleic acid (siRNA) drugs targeting cardiovascular and metabolic fields in late-stage clinical development. Its core pipeline has been granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) and is expected to become one of the earliest domestically produced small nucleic acid drugs to be approved for marketing in China. It will also be the first to establish commercial-scale small nucleic acid drug production capabilities in China, filling the technical gap in this field within the country.