Biotech Values

[DewDiligence]

VIR—Do you have an opinion on ALNY’s “ESC+” siRNA technology? This excerpt is from VIR’s PR issued yesterday:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/vir-2218-demonstrates-dose-dependent-200110652.html

The Alnylam ESC+ technology incorporated into VIR-2218 is designed to reduce off-target binding while maintaining on-target activity, which is hypothesized to result in an improved hepatic safety profile. In analyses of the in vitro, in vivo and Phase 1 clinical data, the ESC+ siRNA VIR-2218, when compared to the parent compound ALN-HBV, which is not an ESC+ siRNA, was shown to have:

• Improved in vitro specificity by reducing off-target effects on host messenger RNA;

• Decreased propensity to cause ALT elevations in a humanized liver chimeric mouse model; and

• In a cross-study comparison of Phase 1 data, decreased propensity to cause ALT elevations in healthy volunteers at dose levels anticipated to be clinically relevant.

IYO, is this bona fide differentiation… or mostly spin?