CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc. said
Monday it received $10 million from Japanese drugmaker Takeda Pharmaceutical
Co. as part of the companies’ collaboration on gene-silencing drugs.

Alnylam is
transferring RNA interference drug technology to Takeda as part of the
partnership, which began in May 2008. Not counting Monday’s payment, Alnylam
said it has received $140 million in payments from Takeda over that time. The
partnership could be worth more than $1 billion in total and also includes
options that would allow Alnylam to help market RNA drugs in the U.S. and split the U.S. profits with Takeda.

Drugs using RNA
interference technology, or RNAi, are designed to shut down the proteins at the
root of a disease or condition.

Shares of
Alnylam fell 25 cents, or 2.7 percent, to $9.14 in afternoon trading.