Germany’s Boehringer Ingelheim is partnering US company Dicerna Pharmaceuticals to develop new RNAi therapeutics for liver diseases.

The research collaboration and license agreement will initially focus on the discovery and development of novel GalXC RNAi therapeutics for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a chronic liver disease for which there is currently no approved treatment.

NASH is caused by the buildup of fat in the liver, potentially leading to fibrosis and cirrhosis. It is expected to soon become the most common cause of advanced liver disorders and often requires transplantation.

Dicerna’s GalXC technology platform uses RNAi to inhibit the expression of disease-causing genes by destroying the messenger RNAs of those genes. The Massachusetts-based group said this approach has the potential to treat diseases by silencing previously inaccessible drug targets.

 “This partnership complements our existing research efforts and expertise and offers distinct advantages in developing exciting new therapy options,” said Clive Wood, corporate senior vice president discovery research at Boehringer Ingelheim.

Under the terms of the agreement, Dicerna could receive more than $200 million from its collaboration partner, including an upfront payment, development and commercial milestone payments and research and development reimbursement for a GalXC candidate product addressing an undisclosed NASH target. Dicerna is also eligible to receive royalties staggered up to double digits on worldwide net sales.

As well as chronic liver disease, Dicerna said compounds produced via GalXC should be  broadly applicable across multiple therapeutic areas, including rare diseases, cardiovascular disease and viral infectious diseases.