BIOGEN IDEC, INC. AND ALNYLAM PHARMACEUTICALS FORM ALLIANCE TO DISCOVER AND DEVELOP THERAPEUTICS FOR THE POTENTIAL TREATMENT OF PROGRESSIVE MULTIFOCAL LEUKOENCEPHALOPATHY (PML)

Biogen Idec and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced a collaboration to discover and develop RNAi therapeutics for the potential treatment of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). PML is caused by infection of the central nervous system with a virus called "JC virus" and can occur in certain immune-suppressed patients, including those receiving immunomodulatory therapies.

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