Tekmira lands up to $140 million contract for Ebola SNALP

Tekmira Pharmaceuticals (TSX:TKM) has received a contract from U.S. Government’s chemical and biological defense program initially valued at up to $34.7 million (U.S.) to develop an RNA-interference therapeutic utilizing its SNALP lipid nanoparticle technology to treat Ebola virus infection. The initial three-year funding covers work through preclinical development, filing of an IND application with the [...]

Tekmira partner starts human trials of ALN-TTR01

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ALNY), one of Tekmira Pharmaceuticals‘ (TSX:TKM) partners, has initiated dosing in a Phase 1 clinical trial of its ALN-TTR01 product candidate in patients with transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis (ATTR), a disease that results in damage to the peripheral nerves and heart. ALN-TTR01 is a RNA-interference therapeutic that uses Tekmira’s lipid nanoparticle delivery technology, SNALP (stable [...]

Tekmira reports on protection against deadly Ebola virus

Tekmira Pharmaceuticals (TSX:TKM) has published a series of studies in The Lancet demonstrating the ability of an RNA-interference therapeutic using Tekmira’s SNALP lipid nanoparticle delivery technology to protect non-human primates from Ebola virus, a highly contagious and lethal human infectious disease. “These very striking data are the first demonstration that RNAi is efficacious in an [...]

Tekmira and Bristol-Myers in validation program

Tekmira Pharmaceuticals (TSX:TKM) has signed a four-year agreement with Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY) to validate certain cellular targets using its stable nucleic acid-lipid particles (SNALP) technology in exchange for an upfront payment of $3 million (U.S.). Under the agreement, Bristol-Myers Squibb will use RNA interfering molecules formulated by Tekmira in SNALP to silence target genes of [...]

Tekmira’s leading RNAi platform ready for prime time

As a global leader in the emerging field of RNA interference (RNAi), which holds the potential of revolutionizing medicine with new therapeutics, upstart Tekmira Pharmaceuticals (TSX:TKM) is at the precipice of confirming that the highly touted science works in humans. “We really are at the crux,” CEO Dr. Mark Murray says in an exclusive interview [...]

Tekmira ups potency of delivery platform

New research published in the journal Nature Biotechnology has disclosed that Tekmira Pharmaceuticals (TSX:TKM) has developed a new lipid component that provides a ten-fold improvement in the potency of its SNALP delivery platform. “This work advances Tekmira’s leadership position in the delivery of RNA interference therapeutics and supports our strategy of expanding the tremendous potential [...]