Oct 27, 2026 —
Novartis says its roughly $12 billion acquisition of Avidity Biosciences remains on track, even after taking a $1.9 billion impairment tied to del-desiran, Avidity’s candidate for myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1).
Avidity’s platform uses antibody-oligonucleotide conjugates (AOCs), which link an antibody to an RNA payload to deliver it to tissues, such as muscle, that have been hard to reach with RNA drugs. That targeted-delivery approach is the strategic reason behind the deal.
The impairment is a reminder that RNA-delivery programs still carry clinical risk, but Novartis’s stance signals continued big-pharma commitment to targeted RNA medicines.
