Tekmira, BMS Expand LNP Collaboration

Tekmira Pharmaceuticals has expanded its multi-year collaboration with Bristol-Myers Squibb to include newly developed Tekmira proprietary lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulations for delivery to tumors and other tissues outside the liver. The two companies are also expanding ongoing target validation work.

Under the original agreement, BMS is using small interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules formulated by Tekmira in LNPs to silence target genes of interest. BMS is conducting the preclinical work to validate the function of certain genes and is sharing the data with Tekmira. BMS will have a first right to negotiate a licensing agreement on certain RNAi products developed by Tekmira that result from gene targets validated by BMS. Tekmira received $3.0 million under the agreement signed last year.

“We have been successfully collaborating with Bristol-Myers Squibb for several years. We are now expanding that work to include further evaluation of Tekmira’s proprietary LNP technology to identify formulations capable of targeting tumors and certain tissues outside of the liver. The new work also includes additional cellular targets that were beyond the scope of the original agreement. Bristol-Myers Squibb will continue to share the data from this research with Tekmira,” said Dr. Mark J. Murray, Tekmira’s president and chief executive officer.