May 24, 2021 -- Boehringer Ingelheim has accepted Dicerna Pharmaceuticals GalXC RNA interference (RNAi) candidate for its development for the treatment of chronic liver diseases.
The compound will be investigated for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. RNAi destroys messenger RNA made from genes, which can prevent the creation of disease-causing proteins, Dicerna said. The company's GalXC technology consists of an N-acetyl-D-galactosamine (GalNAc) structure of double-stranded RNA molecules that bind to liver cell receptors.
Dicerna will receive a preclinical milestone payment from Boehringer Ingelheim for the compound, called DCR-LIV2, which it expects to receive in the second quarter of this year. Dicerna is eligible to receive up to $170 million in additional milestone payments, as well as royalties on potential global net sales.