1. Scrip
  2. >>Business

Persistence Pays Off for Tacere Execs

 
• By Chris Morrison

RNAi firm Tacere's deal with Pfizer demonstrates pharmaceutical companies' interest in exploring a variety of RNA interference techniques as well as the rewards sometimes associated with the dogged development of a single project.

It isn’t uncommon for a drug candidate to outlive the company that first sought to develop it. But the tortuous path of the preclinical RNA interference candidate against hepatitis C virus (HCV), TT-033, is nevertheless an interesting study in perseverance. Tacere Therapeutics Inc. licensed the candidate to Pfizer Inc. for up to $145 million in development, regulatory and commercial milestones (including an undisclosed up-front fee) plus royalties, in January. [See Deal] The deal isn’t flashy or groundbreaking in its size, scope or structure, but for a project with three corporate homes before it even completes preclinical toxicology, it’s quite a good result. And it may also be a harbinger of changing pharmaceutical attitudes to viral delivery of oligonucleotide drugs.

Sara Cunningham Hall was co-founder and VP of business development at Avocel when that California biotech was acquired by

Read the full article – start your free trial today!

Join thousands of industry professionals who rely on Scrip for daily insights

  • Start your 7-day free trial
  • Explore trusted news, analysis, and insights
  • Access comprehensive global coverage
  • Enjoy instant access – no credit card required
Start Free Trial

Already a subscriber?

More from Strategy

More from Business

Syncona Looks To Go Private As Market Decline Deepens

 
• By Andrew McConaghie

While some are calling for Syncona to be wound up, the UK-based company believes many existing and new investors will back the creation of new private fund.

ASCO: Pushing The Frontiers Of ADCs

 
• By Mary Jo Laffler

Antibody-drug conjugates are a major part of the oncology pipeline, and data presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting highlight the emergence of new technologies.

Top 10 Drugs Q1 2025: Keytruda Dominates; Mounjaro Climbs

 
• By Eleanor Malone

Lilly’s Mounjaro for diabetes rose from sixth to third position among the top-selling drugs in the first quarter of 2025, Rival Ozempic retained second position and Merck & Co’s immuno-oncology blockbuster Keytruda stayed far ahead.