Feb 1 2013
Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corporation, a leading developer of RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics, announced today that complete study results have been published from a Phase I trial with ALN-VSP, a systemically delivered RNAi therapeutic for the treatment of advanced solid tumors with liver involvement, which utilizes Tekmira's lipid nanoparticle (LNP) technology. ALN-VSP is being developed by Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
"This published work further validates the longer-term safety and tolerability of Tekmira's industry-leading LNP delivery platform, which is enabling the anti-tumor activity reported in this paper. Our LNP technology, which represents the most widely-used delivery technology in the RNAi field, is driving the advancement of our own product pipeline, including our lead cancer therapeutic TKM-PLK1, as well as the clinical-stage therapeutics of our partners," said Dr. Mark J. Murray, Tekmira's President and CEO.
Tekmira has granted Alnylam a license to use Tekmira's LNP technology to advance RNAi therapeutic products, including the products ALN-VSP, ALN-TTR and ALN-PCS, and Tekmira remains eligible to receive milestones and royalties as Alnylam's LNP enabled products are developed and commercialized. Tekmira will receive a $5 million payment related to initiation of clinical trials for ALN-VSP in China. Alnylam has guided that it expects to report results in mid-2013 from its Phase II study with ALN-TTR02 in patients with ATTR, and anticipates initiating a Phase III pivotal trial of ALN-TTR02 in late 2013. Tekmira will receive a $5 million milestone payment upon ALN-TTR02 entering a pivotal trial and royalties on commercial sales of ALN-TTR.
The most recently published paper is entitled "First-in-Man Trial of an RNA Interference Therapeutic Targeting VEGF and KSP in Cancer Patients with Liver Involvement" and appears as an OnlineFirst publication in the journal Cancer Discovery (Tabernero et al., Cancer Discovery CD-12-0429; Published OnlineFirst January 2013). More detailed information about the Phase I Clinical Trial and Extension Study with ALN-VSP can be found in Alnylam's news release dated January 30, 2013, which has been posted at www.alnylam.com.