Novartis Ends Collaboration With BioArctic on BrainTransporter-Based Drug Program
Key Points
- Novartis terminated its August 2025 Option, Collaboration and License Agreement with BioArctic, discontinuing the BrainTransporter-based program.
- BioArctic said the decision is not related to concerns about its BrainTransporter technology and will retain the $30 million upfront payment.
- BrainTransporter uses the transferrin receptor to help drugs cross the blood-brain barrier, and BioArctic continues developing the platform.
BioArctic’s collaboration with Novartis to explore a potential brain-targeted therapy has ended after Novartis decided to discontinue the program. The decision is not related to concerns about BioArctic’s BrainTransporter technology, the Swedish biotechnology company said.
Novartis Pharma AG notified BioArctic on November 2 that it was terminating the Option, Collaboration and License Agreement signed by the companies in August 2025. The agreement covered research into a potential treatment combining BioArctic’s proprietary BrainTransporter platform with an undisclosed Novartis antibody.
Under the financial terms of the agreement, BioArctic will retain the $30 million upfront payment it received when the collaboration was established. The company also expects to recognize the remaining deferred portion of that payment as revenue in 2026 following the termination.
BrainTransporter is designed to help therapeutic compounds cross the blood-brain barrier by using the transferrin receptor (TfR). The platform can support the delivery of biologics and other drug modalities to the brain and has potential applications across multiple therapeutic areas.
The Novartis agreement was one of five collaborations BioArctic has entered into with partners involving its BrainTransporter technology. The company continues to develop the platform for applications in central nervous system drug delivery.
For more information, visit www.bioarctic.com.
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