SR Pharma initiates Ph I RTP-801i study

London, UK-based SR Pharma says that US collaboration partner Quark Biotech has started a Phase I clinical trial with RTP-801i, a small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapeutic product licensed from Atugen AG, a subsidiary of the UK firm. RTP-801i is based on Atugen's proprietary siRNA technology (AtuRNAi) and modifies the expression or function of one specific gene target, which is involved in the progression of age-related macular degeneration.

RTP-801i has been licensed to Quark Biotech for the treatment of AMD and other diseases. This Phase I study is being funded by Pfizer, which in-licensed the agent for the treatment of AMD in a deal announced last yea .

AMD is the leading cause of blindness in the developed world, affecting about 15 million Americans alone over the age of 50. The target indication for RTP-801i is the neovascular or wet AMD, which is the most devastating form of the disease and occurs due to the formation of an abnormal vascular network beneath the retina of the eye.