Sirna Therapeutics Announces Programs in Strategic Research Alliance With GlaxoSmithKline
04 May 2006 - 10:36PM
PR Newswire (US)
Companies Initiate RNAi-based Therapeutic Effort Against Asthma and
RSV SAN FRANCISCO, May 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sirna
Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:RNAI), a leading RNAi therapeutics
company, today announced that as part of its exclusive, multi-year
collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in respiratory diseases,
the companies have initiated programs in asthma and respiratory
syncytial virus (RSV). As part of the respiratory collaboration,
the companies also plan to pursue RNAi-based therapeutics against
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and allergic rhinitis.
Sirna will provide GSK with optimized and formulated siRNAs against
targets for these diseases and GSK will assume all responsibility
for the further preclinical and clinical development of compounds
that emerge from these programs. RNA interference (RNAi) is a
natural, selective process for turning off genes. Sirna designs and
develops short interfering RNA (siRNA) compounds which down
regulate the expression of critical proteins responsible for viral
replication and pathogenesis. GSK is a world leader in the
discovery and development of treatments for respiratory diseases
and has a wealth of expertise in inhaled and intranasal drug
delivery technologies. Local delivery of siRNA to the respiratory
tract will substantially enhance the feasibility of developing
successful treatments with this exciting new platform technology.
"Sirna has demonstrated the ability to develop chemically modified
and optimized siRNA compounds and then deliver those compounds
effectively into the lung with our nanoparticle formulations,"
stated Barry Polisky, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer at Sirna.
"Further, we have demonstrated that our proprietary approach to
targeting the conserved region of a viral genome has resulted in
significant viral knockdown in a non-human primate model. With
these encouraging results and together with the combined efforts of
Sirna and GSK scientific teams, we expect to expedite the
development of novel RNAi-based therapies -- those efforts
initially focused on asthma and RSV." Sirna is the first company to
file enabling patents for over 250 important mammalian disease
targets including respiratory targets such as MMP-13, IL-4, IL-13,
VCAM, and ICAM as well as antiviral targets such as RSV. In
addition, Sirna has been granted patent claims in the U.K. and has
pending claims in the U.S. that broadly cover any siRNA molecule
that targets conserved sequences within a virus or a gene. COPD is
a disorder characterized by shortness of breath, chronic cough and
sputum production. Cigarette smoking is the predominant etiologic
factor in the development of COPD, and The World Health
Organization (WHO) estimates the prevalence of COPD to be 600
million worldwide. By the year 2020, COPD is expected to be the
third leading cause of death and the fifth leading cause of
disability. Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease that currently
affects 15 million people in the U.S., causes approximately 5,000
deaths per year and accounts for an estimated $13 billion in annual
healthcare costs. Allergic rhinitis (AR) results from a local
defense mechanism in the nasal airways that attempts to prevent
irritants and allergens from entering the lungs. AR affects
approximately 20% of the U.S. population. Over-the-counter
treatments are estimated to be approximately $55 billion dollars
per year and prescription medications exceed $6 billion per year
worldwide. The financial impact of lost productivity is estimated
to be $1.5 billion dollars per year. Respiratory syncytial virus is
a highly infectious agent affecting children under the age of two.
RSV can lead to serious lower respiratory infections such as
pneumonia and can be fatal to infants born with lung or heart
problems. About Sirna Therapeutics Sirna Therapeutics is a
clinical-stage biotechnology company developing RNAi-based
therapies for serious diseases and conditions, including
age-related macular degeneration (AMD), hepatitis B and C,
dermatology, asthma, RSV, Huntington's disease, diabetes and
oncology. Sirna Therapeutics completed its Phase 1 clinical trial
for Sirna-027 in AMD in 2005 and with its strategic partner,
Allergan, Inc., will move Sirna-027 into Phase 2 clinical trials in
2006. Sirna has selected a clinical compound for hepatitis C virus,
Sirna-034, which the Company plans to bring into Phase 1 clinical
trials by the end of 2006. Sirna has established an exclusive
multi-year strategic alliance with GlaxoSmithKline for the
development of siRNA compounds for the treatment of respiratory
diseases. Sirna has a leading intellectual property portfolio in
RNAi covering over 250 mammalian gene and viral targets and over
175 issued or pending patents covering other major aspects of RNAi
technology. More information on Sirna Therapeutics is available on
the Company's web site at http://www.sirna.com/. About RNA
interference RNA interference (RNAi) is a natural, selective
process for turning off genes. RNAi is triggered by short
interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules that engage a group of cellular
proteins, known as RISC (RNA induced silencing complex). The RISC
guides the siRNA to its target messenger RNA (mRNA, the messenger
between DNA and proteins) by complementary base pairing for the
targeted break-up of the mRNA thus halting protein expression or
viral replication. The RISC-siRNA-complex binds and cleaves
multiple mRNA molecules in a catalytic fashion. Safe Harbor
Statement Statements in this press release which are not strictly
historical are "forward-looking" statements which should be
considered as subject to many risks and uncertainties. For example,
most drug candidates do not become approved drugs. Sirna currently
does not have any clinical drug candidates for the treatment of
respiratory diseases, and the development of Sirna-027 and
Sirna-034 as well as Sirna's other programs are still at a
relatively early stage. All of these programs, and Sirna's ability
to obtain milestone and royalty payments for them, are subject to
significant risks and unknowns, are highly contingent upon future
successes, and require significant funding. In addition, patent
applications may not result in issued patents, and issued patents
may not be enforceable or could be invalidated. Other risks and
uncertainties include, among others, Sirna's early stage of
development and short operating history, Sirna's history and
expectation of losses and need to raise capital, Sirna's need to
obtain clinical validation and regulatory approval for Sirna-027,
Sirna-034 and Sirna's other product candidates, any of which could
have negative results, Sirna's need to engage collaborators,
Sirna's need to obtain and protect intellectual property, and the
risk of third-party patent infringement claims. These and
additional risk factors are identified in Sirna's Securities and
Exchange Commission filings, including the Forms 10-K and 10-Q and
in other SEC filings. Sirna undertakes no obligation to revise or
update any forward-looking statements in order to reflect events or
circumstances that may arise after the date of this release.
Contacts: Rebecca Galler Robison, Senior Director, Corporate
Strategy, Sirna Therapeutics, Inc., 303-449-6500 Alan Zachary,
Director of Public Relations, McKinney|Chicago, 312-944-6784 x. 316
DATASOURCE: Sirna Therapeutics, Inc. CONTACT: Rebecca Galler
Robison, Senior Director, Corporate Strategy of Sirna Therapeutics,
Inc., +1-303-449-6500; or Alan Zachary, Director of Public
Relations of McKinney|Chicago, +1-312-944-6784, ext. 316, for Sirna
Therapeutics, Inc. Web site: http://www.sirna.com/
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