The use of the polyadenylation signal as a general and specific target for siRNA gene silencing and inhibition of viral propagation.

The use of the polyadenylation signal as a general and specific target for siRNA gene silencing and inhibition of viral propagation.

Inhibition of Viral Propagation

New antiviral drugs

Category	si RNA (RNAi), Infectious diseases, Antiviral drugs
Development Stage	Proof of concept established in laboratory
Patent Status	PCT granted (no. WO2005103254)
Market Size	$650 million in 2005 doubling to $1 billion in 2010

Highlights

• Use of inhibitory RNA (siRNA) in a living cell to silence gene expression of a target gene in that cell

• Allows design of efficient antiviral and anticancer drugs based on RNAi technologies

• Preliminary studies in laboratory show efficient inhibition of HIV and papova viruses.

• Application: Research and industrial laboratories searching for target genes for the development of therapies against human diseases.

Our Innovation

•  The invention defines a general target for siRNA mediated gene  knock-down, derived from the function domain, the polyadenylation site, common to most genes. Targeting this consensus sequence in viral and cellular mRNAs, results in the inhibition of viral replication and selected cellular genes associated with different human diseases.

Key Features

• High rate specificity and effectiveness, safer than current antiviral drugs

• Easy to design

Development Milestones

• Proof of concept already established in laboratory for two viruses HIV and Papova

• Expansion to other viruses, Hepatitis B and C, estimated to take one year

• Experiments in animal models, estimated to take two years

• Process development, estimated to take three years

The Opportunity

• Even after a few siRNA derived products get into the market by the year 2010, this market will further expand to

  $3.5 billion based on revenues from sales of siRNA-based drugs is estimated

project-id 12-2006-417

Early Stage

$650 million in 2005 doubling to $1 billion in 2010.