Argo Biopharma Announces Multi-Asset License and Option Agreements With Novartis
Palo Alto – September 3, 2025 – Cooley advised Argo Biopharma, a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing next-generation small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapeutics, on its additional strategic collaboration with Novartis for multiple cardiovascular assets in Argo’s pipeline. The new agreements are in addition to the existing collaboration between the companies and comprise their third transaction including assets from Argo’s pipeline.
This most recent collaboration between Argo and Novartis includes an option granted to Novartis to license ex-China rights to two discovery-stage next-generation molecules for the treatment of severe hypertriglyceridemia and mixed dyslipidemia and a right of first negotiation to BW-00112 (ANGPTL3), as well as an ex-China license granted to Novartis with reciprocal options to share in profit and loss in the US and China for an additional hepatic-delivered siRNA candidate currently in investigational new drug (IND)-enabling studies.
Under the terms of the agreements, Argo will receive an upfront payment of $160 million and is eligible to receive potential milestone and option payments of a combined potential value of up to $5.2 billion, as well as tiered royalties on commercial sales.
Life sciences corporate partnering and licensing lawyers Lila Hope, Jennifer Raab, Freddy Yip and Yuhan Wu led the cross-office team advising Argo, with support from Yiming Liu and Patrick Loofbourrow on corporate- and capital markets-related matters, Aaron Pomeroy and Amanda Pacheco on tax, Julia Brinton and David Burns on antitrust, and Andrew Epstein and Mari Dugas on cyber/data/privacy.
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