Canadian developer of RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics Tekmira Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: TKMR) is a leader in the development of therapeutic agents based upon Nobel Prize winning breakthroughs in the field of gene silencing, known as RNA interference (RNAi).

Tekmira's lead RNAi product candidates target cancer, Ebola infection, and other indications. Tekmira's lead oncology product candidate, TKM-PLK1, has been shown in pre-clinical animal studies to selectively kill cancer cells, while sparing normal cells in adjacent healthy tissue.

TKM-PLK1 targets PLK1 (polo-like kinase 1), a protein involved in tumor cell proliferation and a validated oncology target. Inhibition of PLK1 expression prevents the tumor cell from completing cell division, resulting in cell cycle arrest and death of the cancer cell.