The Medicines Company (TMC) has licensed global rights to Alnylam Pharmaceuticals’ ALN-PCS RNAi therapeutic programme targeting PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9) for the treatment of hypercholesterolaemia. Alnylam will complete certain preclinical and Phase I studies, with TMC funding and assuming responsibility for development from Phase II onwards and for any subsequent commercialisation. A number of large pharmaceutical companies are developing monoclonal antibodies targeting PCSK9 that are in late-stage development. Alnylam’s programme thus lags somewhat behind, although it is differentiated in terms of its mechanism of action.