Novartis has announced a new global licensing and collaboration agreement with SciNeuro Pharmaceuticals, a company based in China and the United States, to develop a next-generation anti-amyloid antibody program for Alzheimer’s disease. The deal was revealed at the start of this year’s J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference.
Under the terms of the agreement, Novartis will pay $165 million upfront to collaborate with SciNeuro on early development of the program. Novartis will then assume responsibility for later-stage clinical trials, product development, and worldwide commercialization. SciNeuro is eligible to receive up to $1.5 billion in milestone payments tied to development, regulatory approvals, and commercial achievements, as well as tiered royalties on sales. The companies expect the transaction to close during the first half of this year.
The specific candidate under development was not named in the announcement; however, SciNeuro lists SNP234 on its website as its only anti-amyloid drug candidate. According to SciNeuro, SNP234 is designed to selectively target toxic clumps of amyloid-beta while sparing non-pathogenic forms—a mechanism intended to slow cognitive decline and disease progression.
SciNeuro also noted that SNP234 uses its proprietary shuttle platform for delivery into the brain and said that “the program offers potential differentiation from existing amyloid beta targeted agents.”
Amyloid-beta remains the primary therapeutic target for commercialized Alzheimer’s treatments. Eisai and Biogen’s Leqembi is currently a leading antibody therapy targeting amyloid plaques; it received FDA approval for a subcutaneous maintenance formulation in September 2023. Eli Lilly also entered the market with Kisunla last year, while Roche reported positive results from its trontinemab antibody in December.
This latest partnership continues an active period of dealmaking by Novartis across several therapeutic areas. In December 2025, Novartis agreed to a dermatology-focused collaboration worth over $1.7 billion with Relation, using AI technology to develop new therapies for atopic conditions. In September 2025, Novartis acquired Tourmaline Bio for $1.4 billion to strengthen its heart disease portfolio; one month later it purchased Avidity Biosciences for $12 billion—its second-largest acquisition of 2025—to expand into RNA-based muscle dystrophy treatments.
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