Sionna Therapeutics announced this week that it has acquired multiple clinical-stage compounds for cystic fibrosis (CF) through a license agreement with AbbVie.
This agreement grants Sionna exclusive worldwide rights to develop and commercialize three compounds: ABBV-2222, ABBV-3067, and ABBV-2851. Under the terms of the deal, Sionna will prioritize the advancement of one of the AbbVie compounds in combination with its own NBD1 stabilizers, including SION-109.
AbbVie will receive an upfront payment, an equity investment in Sionna, and will be eligible for late-stage development and commercial milestone payments, as well as royalties. The focus on combining NBD1 stabilizers with complementary CFTR modulators aims to achieve superior efficacy compared to current CF treatments.
Previous clinical studies by AbbVie have shown that ABBV-2222 and ABBV-3067 are generally safe and effective, with improvements in percent predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 second (ppFEV1) and reductions in sweat chloride levels. Sionna’s pre-clinical data also indicates that dual combinations of its NBD1 stabilizers and AbbVie’s modulators have the potential for greater efficacy than the current standard of care, potentially normalizing CFTR function in patients with the F508 mutation.