Jul 11, 2013 Press Release for Alnylam
Alnylam Reports Positive Top-Line Results for ALN-TTRsc, a Subcutaneously Administered RNAi Therapeutic Targeting Transthyretin (TTR) for the Treatment of TTR-Mediated Amyloidosis
Jul 11, 2013
— ALN-TTRsc Achieves Greater than 80% Knockdown of Serum TTR and is Found to be Generally Safe and Well Tolerated —
— Results Establish Human Translation of Alnylam's Proprietary
GalNAc-siRNA Conjugate Platform for
— Data to be Presented at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the
— Company to Host and Webcast R&D Day Today —
"These clinical results with ALN-TTRsc establish human translation for
RNAi therapeutics that utilize our GalNAc-siRNA conjugate delivery
platform. This platform enables subcutaneous dose administration with a
wide therapeutic index and has now become our primary approach for
development of RNAi therapeutics. As a result, we believe these data are
very meaningful not only for the continued advancement of ALN-TTRsc, but
also for the continued execution on our entire ‘Alnylam 5x15' product
strategy," said
ATTR is caused by mutations in the TTR gene which cause abnormal amyloid protein deposits to accumulate in various tissues including peripheral nerves and heart, resulting in neuropathy and/or cardiomyopathy. ATTR represents a major unmet medical need with significant morbidity and mortality; familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy (FAP) affects approximately 10,000 people worldwide and familial amyloidotic cardiomyopathy (FAC) affects at least 40,000 people worldwide. ALN-TTRsc, which is being developed for the treatment of FAC, is a subcutaneously administered RNAi therapeutic that comprises an siRNA conjugated to a GalNAc ligand that enables receptor-mediated delivery to the liver. ALN-TTRsc is the first GalNAc-siRNA — and the first subcutaneously delivered — systemic RNAi therapeutic to enter clinical development stages. Alnylam is also developing ALN-TTR02, an intravenously administered RNAi therapeutic targeting TTR for the treatment of FAP patients with ATTR.
The ongoing Phase I trial of ALN-TTRsc is being conducted in the
Pre-clinical studies have shown that subcutaneous administration of ALN-TTRsc resulted in potent and sustained suppression of TTR. In non-human primates, ALN-TTRsc administration resulted in an approximately 80% reduction of TTR at doses as low as 2.5 mg/kg. In single- and multi-dose pre-clinical safety studies in rodents and non-human primates, ALN-TTRsc was found to be generally safe and well tolerated. Specifically, at doses as high as 300 mg/kg in non-human primates, ALN-TTRsc was well tolerated with no clinical signs, no adverse laboratory or histopathologic findings, no elevations in cytokines or complement, and no significant injection site reactions; these results demonstrate an approximately 100-fold therapeutic index for GalNAc-siRNA conjugates.
In 2012, Alnylam entered into an exclusive alliance with Genzyme, a
Sanofi company, to develop and commercialize RNAi therapeutics,
including ALN-TTR02 and ALN-TTRsc, for the treatment of ATTR in
Alnylam is hosting an R&D Day today from
About Transthyretin-Mediated Amyloidosis
Transthyretin (TTR)-mediated amyloidosis (ATTR) is an inherited,
progressively debilitating, and fatal disease caused by mutations in the
TTR gene. TTR protein is produced primarily in the liver and is normally
a carrier for retinol binding protein. Mutations in TTR cause abnormal
amyloid proteins to accumulate and damage body organs and tissue, such
as the peripheral nerves and heart, resulting in intractable peripheral
sensory neuropathy, autonomic neuropathy, and/or cardiomyopathy. ATTR
represents a major unmet medical need with significant morbidity and
mortality; familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy (FAP) affects
approximately 10,000 people worldwide and familial amyloidotic
cardiomyopathy (FAC) affects at least 40,000 people worldwide. FAP
patients have a life expectancy of five to 15 years from symptom onset,
and the only treatment options for early stage disease are liver
transplantation and tafamidis (approved in
About GalNAc Conjugates
GalNAc-siRNA conjugates are a proprietary Alnylam delivery platform and are designed to achieve targeted delivery of RNAi therapeutics to hepatocytes through uptake by the asialoglycoprotein receptor. Research findings demonstrate potent and durable target gene silencing, as well as a wide therapeutic index, with subcutaneously administered GalNAc-siRNAs from multiple "Alnylam 5x15" programs.
About RNA Interference (RNAi)
RNAi (RNA interference) is a revolution in biology, representing a breakthrough in understanding how genes are turned on and off in cells, and a completely new approach to drug discovery and development. Its discovery has been heralded as "a major scientific breakthrough that happens once every decade or so," and represents one of the most promising and rapidly advancing frontiers in biology and drug discovery today which was awarded the 2006 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine. RNAi is a natural process of gene silencing that occurs in organisms ranging from plants to mammals. By harnessing the natural biological process of RNAi occurring in our cells, the creation of a major new class of medicines, known as RNAi therapeutics, is on the horizon. Small interfering RNA (siRNA), the molecules that mediate RNAi and comprise Alnylam's RNAi therapeutic platform, target the cause of diseases by potently silencing specific mRNAs, thereby preventing disease-causing proteins from being made. RNAi therapeutics have the potential to treat disease and help patients in a fundamentally new way.
About
Alnylam is a biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics
based on RNA interference, or RNAi. The company is leading the
translation of RNAi as a new class of innovative medicines with a core
focus on RNAi therapeutics toward genetically defined targets for the
treatment of serious, life-threatening diseases with limited treatment
options for patients and their caregivers. These include: ALN-TTR02, an
intravenously delivered RNAi therapeutic targeting transthyretin (TTR)
for the treatment of TTR-mediated amyloidosis (ATTR) in patients with
familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy (FAP); ALN-TTRsc, a subcutaneously
delivered RNAi therapeutic targeting TTR for the treatment of ATTR in
patients with familial amyloidotic cardiomyopathy (FAC); ALN-AT3, an
RNAi therapeutic targeting antithrombin (AT) for the treatment of
hemophilia and rare bleeding disorders (RBD); ALN-AS1, an RNAi
therapeutic targeting aminolevulinate synthase-1 (ALAS-1) for the
treatment of acute intermittent porphyria (AIP); ALN-PCS, an RNAi
therapeutic targeting PCSK9 for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia;
ALN-TMP, an RNAi therapeutic targeting TMPRSS6 for the treatment of
beta-thalassemia and iron-overload disorders; ALN-AAT, an RNAi
therapeutic targeting alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT) for the treatment of AAT
deficiency liver disease; and ALN-CC5, an RNAi therapeutic targeting the
C5 component of the complement pathway for the treatment of
complement-mediated diseases, amongst other programs. As part of its
"Alnylam 5x15TM" strategy, the company expects to have five
RNAi therapeutic products for genetically defined diseases in clinical
development, including programs in advanced stages, on its own or with a
partner by the end of 2015. Alnylam has additional partnered programs in
clinical or development stages, including ALN-RSV01 for the treatment of
respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection and ALN-VSP for the
treatment of liver cancers. The company's leadership position on RNAi
therapeutics and intellectual property have enabled it to form major
alliances with leading companies including Merck, Medtronic, Novartis,
Biogen Idec, Roche,
About "Alnylam 5x15™"
The "Alnylam 5x15" strategy, launched in
Alnylam Forward-Looking Statements
Various statements in this press release concerning Alnylam's future
expectations, plans and prospects, including without limitation,
Alnylam's expectations regarding its "Alnylam 5x15" product strategy,
Alnylam's views with respect to the potential for RNAi therapeutics,
including ALN-TTRsc, its expectations regarding the reporting of data
from its ALN-TTRsc clinical trials, its expectations with respect to the
timing and success of its clinical trials for ALN-TTRsc, and its
expectations regarding the potential market opportunity for ALN-TTRsc,
constitute forward-looking statements for the purposes of the safe
harbor provisions under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by these
forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors,
including, without limitation, Alnylam's ability to discover and develop
novel drug candidates and delivery approaches, successfully demonstrate
the efficacy and safety of its drug candidates, including ALN-TTRsc, the
pre-clinical and clinical results for its product candidates, which may
not support further development of product candidates, actions of
regulatory agencies, which may affect the initiation, timing and
progress of clinical trials, obtaining, maintaining and protecting
intellectual property, Alnylam's ability to enforce its patents against
infringers and defend its patent portfolio against challenges from third
parties, obtaining regulatory approval for products, competition from
others using technology similar to Alnylam's and others developing
products for similar uses, Alnylam's ability to obtain additional
funding to support its business activities and establish and maintain
strategic business alliances and new business initiatives, Alnylam's
dependence on third parties for development, manufacture, marketing,
sales and distribution of products, the outcome of litigation, and
unexpected expenditures, as well as those risks more fully discussed in
the "Risk Factors" filed with Alnylam's current report on Form 10-Q
filed with the
Vice
President, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications
or
Spectrum
Source:
News Provided by Acquire Media
For Media Inquiries, please contact:
Christine Lindenboom
Chief Corporate Communications Officer media@alnylam.com 617-682-4340
For Investor Inquiries, please contact:
Josh Brodsky
VP, Investor Relations & Corporate Communications investors@alnylam.com 617-551-8276
MEDIA KIT
Essential assets and documents related to Alnylam