Alnylam obtains rights to RNAi delivery technology from CBR Institute

By Lisa Kerner

Erie, Pa., May 9 - Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. said it has obtained rights to RNAi delivery technology from the CBR Institute for Biomedical Research, a Harvard Medical School Affiliate.

The in-licensed technology may enable small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), the molecules that mediate RNAi, to be targeted with an engineered monoclonal antibody to tumors and other cell types, according to a company news release.

RNAi is a naturally occurring mechanism within cells for selectively silencing and regulating specific genes, which could lead to new ways to treat certain diseases.

"Our work in the area of RNAi demonstrates that antibody fusion proteins could potentially mediate both systemic and cell-type-specific delivery of siRNAs," said Judy Lieberman, CBR senior investigator and professor of pediatrics, in the release.

Alnylam also recently entered into agreements with Inex Pharmaceuticals Corp. and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology providing access to technologies for the systemic delivery of RNAi therapeutics.

Alnylam is a Cambridge, Mass., biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics based on RNA interference.

The CBR Institute for Biomedical Research is a non-profit, independent research institution located in Boston.

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