Figure by Daniel Ramsköld, Karolinska Institutet. http://tinyurl.com/37n36qh
On November 4, 2010, Cambridge Healthtech Institute (CHI) announced the publication of our new book-length report, RNAi Therapeutics: Second Generation Candidates Build Momentum.
Since the Nobel Prize-winning discovery of RNAi (RNA interference), there has been intense interest by the biotech, pharmaceutical, and investment community in developing oligonucleotide drugs based on RNAi technology. First-generation candidate RNAi therapeutics met with serious obstacles related to potency, stability, immunogenicity, and delivery. However, these issues are being addressed by the current second-generation RNAi therapeutics making progress through preclinical and clinical development.
This new Insight Pharma Report examines the science behind therapeutic RNAi and miRNA (microRNA), technologies for design of therapeutic oligonucleotides that work via an RNAi or miRNA-modulating mechanism, technologies for design of delivery vehicles, and leading specialty companies in the therapeutic RNAi/miRNA industry sector. These include such companies as Alnylam, Quark, RXi, Silence, Tekmira, Regulus, and Santaris.
The report also discusses the role of large pharmaceutical companies in the therapeutic RNAi/miRNA sector, including alliances with RNAi specialty companies and in-house drug development. Also covered are companies that focus on development of miRNA-based diagnostics. The report also includes a discussion of the outlook for the therapeutic RNAi/miRNA industry sector, including strategic issues such as technological prematurity and the development of enabling technologies, the role of Big Pharma investment, the impact of patent litigation and cross-licensing in shaping the RNAi/miRNA sector, and a scenario for the development of RNAi and miRNA-based drugs.
The report also includes transcripts of interviews with five leaders of biotech companies in the RNAi/miRNA industry sector.
The Biopharmconsortium Blog includes two articles on the therapeutic RNAi/miRNA sector, published in 2009. You can access these articles here. The new CHI Insight Pharma Report provides a much more extensive–and updated–exposition of the state of RNAi and miRNA therapeutic development, and of the exciting, fast-moving industry sector that is working to develop these drugs.
For more information on RNAi Therapeutics: Second Generation Candidates Build Momentum, or to order it, see the CHI Insight Pharma Reports website.
