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Inex enters research deal with Alnylam
2006-03-27 08:27 ET - News Release
Mr. Timothy Ruane reports
INEX AND ALNYLAM ANNOUNCE RESEARCH COLLABORATION FOR SYSTEMIC DELIVERY OF RNAI THERAPEUTICS
Inex Pharmaceuticals Corp. has signed an exclusive research collaboration agreement with Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to evaluate Alnylam's RNAi therapeutics with Inex's systemic liposomal delivery technology.
The work with Alnylam on the encapsulation and delivery of RNAi therapeutics builds on Inex's expertise in the delivery of oligonucleotides under its targeted immunotherapy platform.
The collaboration will evaluate multiple targets including apolipoprotein B (apoB), a protein involved in cholesterol metabolism. The Inex and Alnylam agreement will build on preliminary data published by Alnylam and its collaborators in Nature, the leading international journal of science, showing that the systemic delivery of an apoB RNAi therapeutic significantly reduced blood cholesterol levels.
Under the terms of the agreement, Alnylam has the option to execute a global exclusive licence for specific RNAi therapeutic targets. The licence agreement would include upfront licence fees, future milestone payments and royalties as the products are commercialized. Alnylam also has the right to expand the option to negotiate licence terms for additional targets.
The exercise of the licence option is dependent on the successful completion of the research collaboration and the completion of Inex's spinout of its targeted immunotherapy technology into Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corp. Tekmira would provide the required staff and financing to support the research collaboration and licence agreement.
Timothy M. Ruane, president and chief executive officer of Inex, said that combining Inex's expertise in the systemic delivery of oligonucleotides with Alnylam's leading position in RNAi therapeutics is a perfect fit. "We look forward to building on Alnylam's promising data published in Nature and finalizing the spinout of Tekmira to advance this collaboration to a full licence agreement."
Dr. John Maraganore, PhD, president and chief executive officer of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, said: "We are enthusiastic about the collaboration with Inex as brings together two companies with leadership positions in their respective fields. We look forward to working with Inex to advance the development of novel systemic RNAi therapeutics."
About Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corp.
Inex expects to complete the spinout of Tekmira late in the second quarter of 2006 after receiving necessary court and regulatory approvals. Tekmira will focus on advancing Inex's targeted immunotherapy technology and its lead product, INX-0167. The targeted immunotherapy technology is based on the encapsulation of immunostimulatory oligonucleotides in liposomes and combines the immunostimulatory properties of oligonucleotides into a single synthetic particle. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that INX-0167 enhances the number and potency of certain immune cells, including natural killer (NK) cells. The resultant increase in NK cell activity is important for the enhancement of the potency of monoclonal antibodies through a mechanism known as antibody-dependent cell mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC).
About Alnylam
Alnylam is a biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics based on RNA interference, or RNAi. The company is applying its therapeutic expertise in RNAi to address significant medical needs, many of which cannot effectively be addressed with small molecules or antibodies, the current major classes of drugs. Alnylam is building a pipeline of RNAi therapeutics; its lead program is in phase I human clinical trials for the treatment of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection, which is the leading cause of hospitalization in infants in the United States. The company's leadership position in fundamental patents, technology, and know-how relating to RNAi has enabled it to form major alliances with leading companies including Merck, Medtronic and Novartis. The company, founded in 2002, maintains global headquarters in Cambridge, Mass., and has an additional operating unit in Kulmbach, Germany. Alnylam is honored to be the emerging/mid-cap company recipient of the 2006 James D. Watson Helix Award, the biotechnology industry's award for outstanding achievement.
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