According to a Roche press release, high blood pressure affects more than 1.2 billion adults worldwide, and about 80% of them are unable to control their blood pressure effectively.

Under the terms of the agreement, Alnylam will receive an upfront cash payment of $310 million and is eligible to receive additional substantial near-term payments, including development milestone payments over the next few years, as well as regulatory and sales milestones, for a potential deal value of up to $2.8 billion. Roche is to cover 60% and Alnylam 40% of the development costs.

If zilebesiran clears the hurdle of marketing approval, the companies intend to market it jointly in the US and share expenses and profits. Outside the US market, Roche will receive exclusive commercialization rights, with Alnylam sharing an unspecified portion of sales. In addition to this, Roche may lead development for additional indications in the future.

“We are excited to work together with Alnylam and leverage our strong R&D capabilities, our leadership in cardiovascular diagnostics and our global commercial footprint to further develop and provide this promising therapy with best-in-disease potential to patients,” said Teresa Graham, Roche Pharma’s CEO. “Together with a strong partner like Alnylam, we are looking forward to making a significant impact for patients living with hypertension at high cardiovascular risk and potentially other cardiovascular indications.”

“We are thrilled to announce this collaboration, as it combines Alnylam’s proven track record in RNAi therapeutics with Roche’s global commercial reach, commitment to innovation and desire to transform the landscape for patients with severe cardiovascular diseases,” said Yvonne Greenstreet, CEO of Alnylam. “With this collaboration, we now can develop zilebesiran in a more robust way, allowing us to have cardiovascular outcomes data in hand at launch to ensure results relevant not only for health authorities but also for access and clinical practice in order to ultimately reach as many patients as possible.”