SHERIDAN, WYOMING – July 25, 2025 – AbbVie and ADARx Pharmaceuticals have announced a major strategic collaboration and license option agreement to co-develop next-generation small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapeutics, targeting several high-impact disease areas including neuroscience, immunology and oncology.
The partnership combines ADARx’s proprietary siRNA platform with AbbVie's extensive biotherapeutic development and commercialization capabilities. siRNA molecules offer a novel modality to suppress disease-causing gene expression by silencing specific messenger RNA (mRNA) targets. This method bypasses traditional small molecule or antibody-based interventions by acting directly at the genetic message level.
Combining Complementary Strengths to Address Complex Diseases
ADARx’s RNA discovery platform is built around delivering sustained, selective, and potent mRNA silencing. AbbVie will enhance this approach by contributing its core competencies in antibody engineering, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), and advanced tissue delivery technologies to maximize therapeutic precision.
“siRNA is a promising genetic medicine approach for silencing disease-causing genes, but challenges still remain in targeting and delivering siRNA effectively,” said Jonathon Sedgwick, Ph.D., senior vice president and global head, discovery research, AbbVie. “We are very pleased to collaborate with ADARx, leveraging their proprietary RNA technology alongside our antibody, ADC, and therapeutic area research and development expertise to bring siRNA forward as a potential novel therapeutic modality alongside our other established approaches. Together, we’re committed to developing innovative solutions for difficult-to-treat diseases across neuroscience, immunology and oncology.”
Strategic Validation for ADARx’s RNA Platform
The collaboration provides strong external validation for ADARx’s technology and represents a significant inflection point in its growth strategy.
“This collaboration with AbbVie further validates the differentiated RNA technology that we have developed at ADARx and has the potential to unlock tremendous clinical and commercial potential across multiple disease areas. AbbVie’s research and development expertise combined with its global commercial reach make them the ideal strategic collaborator to accelerate these programs for the potential benefit of patients worldwide,” said Zhen Li, Ph.D., co-founder, president and chief executive officer of ADARx. “In addition to this strategic collaboration with AbbVie, ADARx continues to advance a deep pipeline of wholly-owned clinical-stage programs that span complement-mediated, cardiovascular and thrombotic diseases and various preclinical discovery programs including in obesity and neurodegeneration.”
Deal Structure Signals Major Investment in RNA Therapeutics
The agreement includes a substantial financial commitment from AbbVie. ADARx will receive a $335 million upfront payment and is eligible for additional payments that could total several billion dollars, including:
- Option-related fees
- Development and commercial milestone payments
- Tiered royalty payments on future product sales
This investment positions both companies to accelerate development timelines and expand access to cutting-edge RNA-based therapies.
Advancing RNA Medicine in a Competitive Biotech Landscape
The RNA therapeutics space continues to gain traction across the biopharma industry, with siRNA increasingly viewed as a viable tool for addressing complex diseases at their genetic roots. This collaboration underscores growing recognition of RNA-targeted modalities as strategic assets capable of delivering both clinical and commercial value.
With this agreement, AbbVie deepens its pipeline diversification while ADARx benefits from the global infrastructure and development firepower of a top-tier pharmaceutical partner.
Learn more at www.abbvie.com and https://www.adarx.com.