5.01.2007

RNAi Therapeutics: RNAi Therapeutics Companies

RNAi Therapeutics: RNAi Therapeutics Companies: "There are a few dozen companies now, small and large alike, that have started developing drugs based on RNAi. While most of them are in the pre-clinical stages, in 2004 Acuity Pharmaceuticals (soon to be known as Opko) was the first to start phase I trials for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Since then 5 more programs have entered the clinic: 2 additional ones for AMD (Sirna Therapeutics, acquired by Merck in 2006 for the handsome sum of $1.1 billion; and Quark Biotech), and one each in RSV (Alnylam Pharmaceuticals), diabetic macular edema (Acuity), and acute kidney injury (Quark Biotech). "