Anylam extends US govt funding of RNAis for biological threats

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, a leading US RNAi therapeutics company, says that the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a component of the National Institutes of Health, has committed to $7.5 million of continued funding related to the 2006 contract for the development of a broad spectrum RNAi antiviral therapeutic against hemorrhagic fever virus, including Ebola virus. The latter can cause a severe, often fatal infection, and poses a potential biological safety risk and bioterrorism threat.

"We are pleased with the continued support of the federal government for the development of an anti-viral RNAi therapeutic for Ebola," said Barry Greene, president. "To date, we have been granted more than $63.0 million in federal contracts for Alnylam Biodefense, and we are looking forward to continuing our work with the NIH to help strengthen our nation's capabilities to counter serious biological security threats," he added.

In September 2006, Alnylam was awarded a federal contract providing the company with up to $23.0 million in funding over a four-year period to develop small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), the molecules that mediate RNAi, as antiviral drugs targeting Ebola virus. To date, the US government has committed to paying the firm up to $14.2 million for the first two years of the contract. As a result of the continued progress of this program, it has committed to fund an additional $7.5 million over year three of the contract.