On November 10, 2025 Avidity Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: RNA), a biopharmaceutical company committed to delivering a new class of RNA therapeutics called Antibody Oligonucleotide Conjugates (AOCs) to profoundly improve people’s lives, reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2025, and highlighted recent progress.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

"In October, we announced that Avidity entered into a definitive merger agreement with Novartis, which we believe maximizes value for our investors, accelerates the global reach of our innovative neuroscience pipeline, and advances even more possibilities for our innovative science," said Sarah Boyce, president and chief executive officer of Avidity. "This important transaction, alongside compelling del-zota data and a successful pre-BLA meeting with the FDA in the third quarter, underscores the remarkable consistency of our AOC platform and the significant potential of del-zota, del-desiran, and del-brax to transform outcomes for people living with serious rare diseases. These achievements are possible because of our incredibly talented Avidity team and the close collaboration of the dedicated patient and clinical communities we serve."

Company Announcements, Highlights and Upcoming Milestones

▪Definitive Merger Agreement with Novartis AG

•In October 2025, Avidity announced it had entered into a definitive merger agreement with Novartis AG ("Novartis") which was unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of both Avidity and Novartis. The closing of the acquisition will follow the separation of Avidity’s early-stage precision cardiology programs into SpinCo, which is expected to be a publicly traded company. SpinCo will be led by Kathleen Gallagher, currently Avidity’s chief program officer, as chief executive officer. Sarah Boyce, currently Avidity’s chief executive officer, will serve as chair of the board.
•Novartis will acquire Avidity’s programs and pipeline in neuroscience and gain access to its differentiated RNA-targeting delivery platform, which includes three late-stage clinical development programs: delpacibart zotadirsen (del-
zota) for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), delpacibart etedesiran (del-desiran) for the treatment of myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) and delpacibart braxlosiran (del-brax) for the treatment of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD).
•Expected closing is in the first half of 2026, subject to completion of the separation of SpinCo from Avidity and other customary closing conditions.
▪Delpacibart zotadirsen (del-zota) for the treatment of people living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy with mutations amenable to exon 44 skipping (DMD44):
•Clear path forward aligned with FDA following October 2025 pre-BLA meeting. The BLA submission is planned for 2026 for accelerated approval.
•In September 2025, Avidity shared positive topline and functional del-zota data from EXPLORE44 and EXPLORE44-OLE trials demonstrating consistent, clinically meaningful improvements across functional endpoints at approximately one year of treatment. Data demonstrated reversal of disease progression and unprecedented improvement compared to baseline and natural history across multiple functional measures. Del-zota continued to demonstrate a favorable long-term safety and tolerability profile.
•In July 2025, Avidity announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Breakthrough Therapy designation to del-zota.
▪Delpacibart etedesiran (del-desiran) for the treatment of myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1):
•In July 2025, Avidity announced completion of enrollment for the Phase 3 HARBOR trial, the first global Ph3 trial of del-desiran for the treatment of DM1.
•Expected publication of data analyses from the completed Phase 1/2 MARINA trial in the fourth quarter of 2025.
•54-week topline data readout from global Phase 3 HARBOR study expected in the second half of 2026.
▪Delpacibart braxlosiran (del-brax) for the treatment of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD):
•Topline data from FORTITUDE biomarker cohort expected in the second quarter of 2026.
•Alignment with FDA on accelerated and full approval pathways for del-brax, and initiated global, confirmatory Phase 3 study, FORTITUDE-3, intended to support global approval strategy for del-brax.
•Phase 3 FORTITUDE-3 readout and global regulatory submissions expected in 2028.

▪Collaboration Progress:
•In the third quarter of 2025, Avidity received collaboration revenue of a $10.0 million clinical development milestone under Avidity’s research collaboration and license agreement with Eli Lilly and Company.
Third Quarter 2025 Financial Results

▪Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities totaled approximately $1.9 billion as of September 30, 2025, which reflects net proceeds of $651.4 million from a public offering and $185.5 million from the sale of common stock under the Company’s sales agreement.

•The Company expects that its cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities as of September 30, 2025, will be sufficient to fund its operations to mid-2028.

▪Collaboration revenues of $12.5 million for the third quarter of 2025 and $17.9 million for the first nine months of 2025, primarily relate to a $10.0 million clinical development milestone under Avidity’s research collaboration and license agreement with Eli Lilly and Company, as well as additional revenues under Avidity’s research collaboration and license agreement with Bristol Myers Squibb. Collaboration revenues of $2.3 million for the third quarter of 2024 and $7.9 million for the first nine months of 2024, primarily relate to revenues under Avidity’s research collaboration and license agreement with Bristol Myers Squibb.

▪Research and development expenses for the third quarter of 2025 were $154.9 million, compared to $77.2 million for the same period of 2024. Research and development expenses for the nine months ended September 30, 2025 were $392.6 million, compared to $208.0 million for the same period of 2024. The increases were primarily driven by increased costs associated with the advancement of del-desiran, del-brax and del-zota, higher manufacturing costs, and higher personnel costs.

▪General and administrative expenses for the third quarter of 2025 were $46.3 million, compared to $23.3 million for the same period of 2024. General and administrative expenses for the nine months ended September 30, 2025 were $116.8 million, compared to $57.9 million for the same period of 2024. The increases were primarily due to higher personnel and commercial infrastructure costs to support the company’s expanded operations.

(Press release, Avidity Biosciences, NOV 10, 2025, View Source [SID1234659735])