Novartis has entered a high-stakes collaboration with Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, licensing their preclinical RNA interference therapy ARO-SNCA targeting alpha-synuclein, a key protein involved in Parkinson’s disease pathogenesis. The deal, featuring $200 million upfront with potential milestones exceeding $2.2 billion, aims to harness Arrowhead’s TRiM platform for rapid, cost-effective drug development with CNS penetration. This follows earlier development setbacks by Novartis and competitors in Parkinson’s treatments, underscoring the unmet need for effective disease-modifying therapies. Arrowhead's RNAi candidate recently advanced to a Phase I/IIa trial, marking a significant step towards clinical validation.