BioCentury
ARTICLE | Company News

Akcea gains as Novartis exercises option for CV risk reduction therapy

February 25, 2019 9:51 PM UTC

Akcea Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:AKCA) added $4.57 (17%) to $31.91 on Monday after Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS; SIX:NOVN) exercised an option to license its antisense APOA1 inhibitor in a renewed attempt at CV risk reduction.

Novartis is now responsible for worldwide development and commercialization of TQJ230, previously AKCEA-APO(a)-LRx. A Novartis spokesperson told BioCentury the pharma plans to start a Phase III CV outcomes trial of TQJ230 in early 2020...