CONSHOHOCKEN, PA — Madrigal Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: MDGL) announced it has entered into an exclusive global license agreement with Suzhou Ribo Life Science Co. Ltd. and its subsidiary Ribocure Pharmaceuticals AB for six preclinical small interfering RNA programs targeting metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis.
The company said the agreement grants Madrigal rights to develop, manufacture and commercialize six siRNA compounds designed to selectively silence genes associated with the liver disease known as MASH.
Under the terms of the deal, Ribo will receive an upfront payment of $60 million. Madrigal said total potential milestone payments across the programs could reach up to $4.4 billion, along with royalties on net sales.
Madrigal said siRNA therapies are designed to reduce production of disease-driving proteins by targeting messenger RNA in liver cells. The company plans to begin investigational new drug-enabling activities for initial candidates in 2026.
The licensing agreement expands Madrigal’s pipeline beyond its approved therapy, Rezdiffra, which is indicated for adults with MASH and moderate to advanced liver fibrosis but not cirrhosis.
The company said it has a fully enrolled Phase 3 outcomes study of Rezdiffra in patients with compensated MASH cirrhosis. Its development pipeline also includes MGL-2086, an oral GLP-1 receptor agonist expected to enter first-in-human studies in the second quarter of 2026, and Ervogastat, a Phase 2 oral DGAT-2 inhibitor.
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, formerly known as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, is a progressive liver disease that can lead to cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer. The condition is a leading cause of liver transplantation in the United States and Europe.
Madrigal said the siRNA programs are intended to support a genetically targeted treatment approach, potentially in combination with Rezdiffra, to address different drivers of the disease.
The company did not disclose a timeline for clinical trials beyond initial preclinical development activities.
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