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Polyplus-transfection to Supply RNAi Therapeutic
Delivery Technology to Alnylam Pharmaceuticals
Collaboration targets improving delivery of RNAi-based therapies
Strasbourg, France, September 21, 2007 - Polyplus-transfection, a company
specialized in the research, development and marketing of innovative reagents
for RNA interference (RNAi) and transfection, announced today that it has signed
a collaboration agreement with Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, the leading RNAi
therapeutics company, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Under the terms of the agreement, Polyplus-transfection will provide Alnylam
with its RNAi therapeutic delivery solutions and share its expertise in
formulation for siRNAs, the molecules that mediate RNAi, in vivo. Alnylam will
evaluate Polyplus' formulations for delivery of RNAi therapeutics. Other terms
were not disclosed.
The companies believe the collaboration has the potential to bring about
improvements in the delivery of siRNA therapies. Although there has been
significant progress in this area to date, creating delivery solutions for RNAi
therapeutics remains an important component in realizing the full potential of
this promising technology.
"As Alnylam is the leading RNAi therapeutics company, we at
Polyplus-transfection are delighted to be collaborating with a firm at the
cutting edge," said Joëlle Bloch, CEO of Polyplus-transfection. "A big advantage
of this relationship is that Polyplus-transfection will benefit from having its
chemical carriers tested in several disease models while working with the most
advanced target sequences and mixed chemical siRNA modifications from Alnylam."
Polyplus-transfection is developing several in vivo siRNA formulation solutions
based on its lead compounds in vivo-jetPEI (now GMP available) and INTERFERin,
as well as on an original RNA modification, sticky siRNA (ssiRNA).
About RNA interference (RNAi)
RNA interference (or RNAi) is a naturally occurring mechanism within cells
for selectively silencing and regulating specific genes. The discovery of RNAi
has been widely acknowledged as a major breakthrough in biology, and the
technology was recognized for its potential broad impact in medicine with the
award of the 2006 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine. Since many diseases
are caused by the inappropriate activity of specific genes, the ability to
silence genes selectively through RNAi has accelerated the understanding of
these genes and their related pathways. Additionally, RNAi could provide a new
way to treat a wide range of human diseases. RNAi is induced by small,
double-stranded RNA molecules. One method to activate RNAi is with chemically
synthesized small interfering RNAs, or siRNAs, which are double-stranded RNAs
that are targeted to a specific disease-associated gene. The siRNA molecules are
used by the natural RNAi machinery in cells to cause targeted gene silencing.
About Polyplus-transfection
Polyplus-transfection is focused on developing innovative solutions for
intracellular delivery of nucleic acids. The company has been marketing its
transfection reagents worldwide since 2001 and is reinvesting most of its
revenues into research and development. Transfection consists of introducing a
gene or a small interfering RNA into cells. This technique makes it possible to
cross the cellular barriers and deliver such biomolecules into the cell for
research or therapeutic purposes.
Customers of Polyplus-transfection's products and services include biotechnology
and pharmaceutical companies as well as life science research laboratories.
Polyplus-transfection offers high quality consultancy, personalized scientific
support and expertise in regulatory affairs related to the use of its reagents
in clinical trials. Phase I/II cancer gene therapy and AIDS trials are underway
in Israel, USA and Hungary using GMP-grade reagents from Polyplus-transfection.
Polyplus' innovative R&D has well-established partnerships with biotech
companies, is involved in several European research collaborations networks such
as GIANT (Gene Therapy, an Integrated Approach to Neoplastic Treatment) and
RIGHT (RNA Interference Technology as Human Therapeutic Tool). The company also
drives the OligoPlus research program for the "Therapeutic Innovations"
Competitiveness Cluster, focusing on new tools for diagnostics.
The Strasbourg-based company is one of the technology leaders in the
transfection market with ISO 9001:2000 certification, three exclusive licenses
from the CNRS and numerous patents filed.
For more information, visit:
http://www.polyplus-transfection.com
For further information, please contact:
Andrew Lloyd & Associates
Andrew Lloyd / Neil Hunter
Tel: +44 1273 675100
allo@ala.com
/ neil@ala.com
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