micro RNA reduces cholesterol

I have discussed micro RNA in past blogs. The link below shows evidence that a Danish firm (Santaris - http://www.santaris.com/ ) has been able to reduce cholesterol by inhibition a specific micro RNA sequence that interferes with an RNA that regulates cholesterol levels. The targeted a microRNA is called miR-122. In the past few years it has become apparent the small (~20 nucleotide long) RNA molecules are major factors in the regulation of our chemistries and the disease processes. The beauty of this technique is that all therapeutic molecules are chemically very similar but just have different nucleotide sequences. Therefore, it will be much easier to make a new drug than the old way in which each drug is chemically very different from the last one. It is a revolution.

They have a hepatitis C drug under development. If hepatitis C then why not Polio? It holds the potential for a cure but is there commercial potential or is the polio survivors market too small? Perhaps NGOs like Rotary Inernational can help. Helge, do you know this company?


Take a look at the link below

http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2008/326/2

Press release from Santaris

Issued – Wednesday December 19, 2007, London, UK & Copenhagen, Denmark
GlaxoSmithKline and Santaris Pharma enter global R&D alliance to
discover, develop and commercialise RNA antagonists as novel antivirals
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Santaris Pharma today announced that they have entered into
a worldwide strategic alliance for the discovery, development and commercialisation of
novel medicines against viral diseases. The collaboration provides GSK access to
patented RNA antagonist compounds, based on Santaris Pharma’s unique Locked Nucleic
Acid technology, for development as potential new therapies for selected viral diseases.
GlaxoSmithKline will participate in the alliance through its Infectious Diseases Centre of
Excellence for Drug Discovery (ID CEDD). Under the terms of the agreement, Santaris Pharma
will grant GlaxoSmithKline options to drug candidates discovered and developed under the
collaboration in up to four different viral disease programmes. In each of these R&D programmes,
Santaris Pharma will be responsible for the discovery and development of RNA antagonist drug
candidates through to completion of Phase IIa (“Clinical Proof of Concept”), at which point
GlaxoSmithKline has an exclusive option to license each compound for further development and
commercialisation on a worldwide basis. GSK also has an option to include as an additional
programme in the collaboration, SPC3649, Santaris Pharma’s preclinical LNA-antimiR against
microRNA-122, which is being developed by Santaris Pharma as a potential new therapy for
Hepatitis C infection.
Santaris Pharma will receive an upfront fee for the first antiviral programme of $3m (£1.5m) and
GSK will make an equity investment of $5m (£2.5m) in Santaris Pharma. If candidate drugs from
the first viral target programme are successful and reach the market, GSK could make additional
milestone payments to Santaris Pharma of up to $140m (£69.5m) for this first programme.
Similar upfront payments and milestones are payable by GSK to Santaris Pharma in respect of
each of the further 3 antiviral programmes if GSK elects to initiate these additional programmes in
the collaboration. In addition, if GSK exercises its option to further develop and commercialise
SPC3649, it will make a further up front payment of $5m (£2.5m) and additional milestones of up
to $122m (£60.5m) if the drug obtains regulatory approvals in Europe and the USA. Overall,
under the collaboration Santaris Pharma could be eligible to receive in excess of $700m (£347m)
in upfront fees and development and regulatory milestones payments. If a product is successfully
commercialised, Santaris Pharma will receive high single to double-digit royalties on worldwide
sales of alliance products.
Announcing the collaboration, Dr Henrik Ørum, Santaris Pharma’s Chief Scientific Officer and VP
Business Development commented:
”We are delighted that GlaxoSmithKline has chosen to collaborate with Santaris Pharma in the
RNA medicines field. We are confident that the high potency and exquisite precision of RNA
targeting achievable by LNA oligonucleotides has the potential to achieve clinical breakthroughs
in viral infections. I can think of no stronger partner for Santaris Pharma in infectious disease
research than GSK.”
Dr Zhi Hong, Senior Vice President and Head of GlaxoSmithKline’s ID CEDD said:
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