AbbVie Sells Cystic Fibrosis Drugs to Sionna Therapeutics

Sionna Therapeutics recently announced the acquisition of multiple clinical-stage compounds for cystic fibrosis (CF) treatment through a licensing agreement with AbbVie. This deal provides Sionna with exclusive global rights to develop and commercialize three specific compounds: ABBV-2222, ABBV-3067, and ABBV-2851.

The agreement stipulates that Sionna will concentrate on advancing one of these AbbVie compounds in combination with its own NBD1 stabilizers, such as SION-109. In exchange, AbbVie will receive an upfront payment and an equity stake in Sionna. Additionally, AbbVie will be entitled to milestone payments upon reaching late-stage development and commercialization targets, along with royalties on future sales.

Sionna’s strategy focuses on combining its NBD1 stabilizers with AbbVie’s CFTR modulators. This approach is anticipated to deliver enhanced efficacy over current CF treatments. Clinical trials conducted by AbbVie have already demonstrated that ABBV-2222 and ABBV-3067 are generally safe and effective. These studies have shown improvements in percent predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 second (ppFEV1) and reductions in sweat chloride levels, markers that are significant for assessing CF treatment efficacy.

Moreover, Sionna’s pre-clinical data suggests that the dual combination of its NBD1 stabilizers with AbbVie’s modulators could offer superior efficacy than the existing standard treatments. This combination has the potential to normalize CFTR function in patients with the F508 mutation, which is a common mutation found in CF patients.

The collaboration between Sionna and AbbVie is seen as a significant step forward in CF treatment, aiming to provide more effective therapeutic options for patients.