Roche to use Isis’s technology to develop brain disorder drug

(Reuters) – Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc said it will form an alliance with Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding AG to develop treatments for Huntington's disease, a genetic brain disorder, based on the U.S. company's technology. Roche will pay Isis $30 million upfront and up to $362 million in licensing and milestone payments. Isis will also receive tiered royalties on sales of any commercial drugs that result from the partnership. Development will initially focus on Isis's lead drug candidate that blocks the production of all forms of the Huntingtin protein, responsible for the disorder. …