Inex Pharmaceuticals Provides Progress Update on Alnylam Collaboration

RNA :: Inex Pharmaceuticals Provides Progress Update on Alnylam Collaboration

Inex Pharmaceuticals Corporation reported that one of its collaboration partners, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. , announced that it will advance a systemically delivered RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutic, ALN-VSP01, for the treatment of liver cancer and potentially other solid tumors.

The announcement was made at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting being held in Los Angeles, California.

ALN-VSP01 is a lipid-based formulation of two small interfering RNAs, or siRNAs, the molecules that mediate RNAi. INEX will be manufacturing ALN-VSP01 in preparation for Alnylam conducting toxicology studies. INEX will also be eligible to receive milestone payments as ALN-VSP01 is developed and royalties on product sales. Alnylam has taken an exclusive license to INEX's liposomal delivery technology for the discovery, development, and commercialization of RNAi therapeutics and the companies have a research and manufacturing alliance on lipid-based delivery formulations. ALN-VSP01 is the second Alnylam development program to utilize lipid-based delivery technology.

Timothy M. Ruane, President and Chief Executive Officer of INEX, said "The collaboration with Alnylam continues to progress well as we support Alnylam in the advancement of their systemic RNAi therapeutics using lipid-based delivery technology. We will continue to provide research and manufacturing support as Alnylam's products move through development."

ALN-VSP01 is an RNAi therapeutic comprised of two siRNAs, each of which targets a distinct and well-validated gene in the growth and proliferation of tumors. One of the siRNAs targets vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a key mediator of angiogenesis and the other siRNA targets kinesin spindle protein (KSP), a protein required for cell division that, when inhibited, leads to cell arrest and cell death in dividing cells.