Novartis pays $150M to license Akcea-Ionis cardiac disease drug

Novartis has taken up its option to license antisense oligonucleotide TQJ230, triggering a $150 million payout that Akcea Therapeutics will share with Ionis Pharmaceuticals. The decision sets Novartis up to test the RNA-targeting drug in phase 3 cardiovascular outcomes trial. TQJ230, formerly known as AKCEA-APO(a)-Lrx, is designed to lower levels of Lp(a) by inhibiting the production of apolipoprotein(a), thereby stopping a dangerous form of low-density lipoprotein from collecting in the arteries and blocking the supply of blood. Lp(a) is a particular concern as it is a key driver of plaque and blood clot formation that cannot be controlled by existing methods. The potential for TQJ230 to address that gap in the therapeutic toolkit led Novartis to strike a deal potentially worth upward of $1 billion for it and another compound. Now, Novartis is handing over $150 million of the financial package to exercise its option to license TQJ230.