Sirna macular degeneration study shows 100% visual acuity stabilization

By Elaine Rigoli

Tampa, Fla., Aug. 10 - Sirna Therapeutics, Inc. said the results from its recently completed phase 1 trial for Sirna-027, a novel therapeutic for age-related macular degeneration, showed that single ascending doses of Sirna-027 were safe and well-tolerated and all 26 patients (100%) showed visual acuity stabilization eight weeks after a single injection.

In addition, at the same time point, five of 26 patients (19%) experienced clinically significant improvement in visual acuity, indicated by an increase of at least three lines on an eye chart.

Three months after a single injection, 24 of 26 patients (92%) showed visual acuity stabilization, with four of 26 patients (15%) experiencing clinically significant improvement in visual acuity; only two of 26 patients (8%) experienced a reduction in visual acuity of three lines or more.

Importantly, the company said a decrease in foveal thickness was observed in some patient groups, which is an indication of biological activity of Sirna-027.

"This is the first demonstration of biological activity of a chemically optimized siRNA in humans. These data represent an important milestone toward the demonstration of the potential therapeutic benefit of Sirna-027 and the clinical validation of RNAi as a therapeutic modality. Less frequent dosing in this devastating disease should greatly improve patient convenience, compliance and quality of life," chief medical officer Roberto Guerciolini said in a news release.

Sirna is a clinical-stage biotechnology company based in San Francisco.

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