Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and Tekmira Pharmaceuticals this week announced that they have begun a new research collaboration focused on discovering novel cationic lipids and lipid nanoparticles for systemic delivery of RNAi drugs.
Under the terms of the two-year deal, Alnylam will have the exclusive rights to all new inventions resulting from the alliance, as well as the rights to sublicense any related intellectual property. Tekmira will have the right to use new inventions with its own RNAi therapeutics.
Alnylam will fund the collaboration, which will include research conducted at the University of British Columbia and a new company called AlCana Technologies. Additional terms of the arrangement were not disclosed.