Regulus could get $150M from expanded partnership with GlaxoSmithKline for hepatitis C work

Regulus and Glaxo will work on hepatitis C drugs

NEW YORK — Drugmaker Regulus Therapeutics LLC said Thursday it is expanding a partnership with GlaxoSmithKline, and will begin researching new treatments for hepatitis C.

Regulus said it will identify a potential drug candidate in late 2010, and file an application with the Food and Drug Administration in 2011. Regulus said it could get more than $150 million from the new collaboration, along with royalty payments of up to 10 percent on sales of any drugs developed under the agreement.

Regulus is a joint venture between Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and Isis Pharmaceuticals. It develops drugs that use microRNA technology, which can turn parts of genes on or off to treat diseases.

GlaxoSmithKline and Regulus began collaborating in 2008 to develop four treatments for inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. Regulus could get more than $600 million from that deal, along with royalty payments on sales.

Isis is based in Carlsbad, Calif., and Alnylam is headquartered in Cambridge, Mass. GlaxoSmithKline is located in the U.K. and it is one of the world’s largest drugmakers.

In Thursday trading, Isis shares rose 9 cents to close at $8.92. Alnylam shares picked up 3 cents to close at $17.97. U.S.-traded shares of GlaxoSmithKline lost 20 cents to close at $37.13.