Alnylam gets milestone from Isis

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals says it has achieved an important milestone in its strategic alliance with fellow US firm Isis Pharmaceuticals, in that it has initiated Investigational New Drug-enabling studies with an RNAi therapeutic clinical candidate that utilizes technology and intellectual property licensed exclusively from Isis. Under the 2004 strategic alliance agreement, Alnylam obtained an exclusive license to Isis intellectual property for double-stranded oligonucleotide therapeutics that mediate RNAi, such as small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), in return for upfront cash, milestone payments and royalties.

"The advancement of RNAi therapeutics into development stages has occurred at a rapid pace, in part due to the pioneering work of Isis across virtually all categories of oligonucleotide therapeutics," said Barry Greene, chief operating officer of Alnylam. "Isis technology and intellectual property have proven to be critical components in developing siRNAs with needed 'drug-like' properties," he noted.