AstraZeneca, Silence Therapeutics Collaborate on siRNA Targeted Therapeutics

According to a March 25, 2020 press release, AstraZeneca has revealed that it will collaborate with Silence Therapeutics on the discovery, development, and commercialization of small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapeutics for the treatment of cardiovascular, renal, metabolic, and respiratory diseases.

The collaborative efforts will use the siRNA platform from Silence Therapeutics to identify and progress liver-based targets. Additionally, the platform will be used to develop new delivery approaches for target other tissues, such as the heart, lung, and kidney. 

“This collaboration with Silence adds an exciting new modality, siRNA, into our drug discovery toolbox,” said Mene Pangalos, executive vice-president, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, in the press release. “Importantly we can apply this drug modality across our key therapy areas in cardiovascular, renal, and metabolism and respiratory to target novel pathways not amenable to more traditional drug discovery approaches.”

Iain Ross, executive chairman at Silence added, in the press release, “We are delighted to announce this collaboration with AstraZeneca as it is a further validation of our proprietary siRNA platform. It not only provides us with an opportunity to collaborate on specific liver expressed gene targets but also to work with a leading company to achieve targeted delivery of siRNA molecules to other tissues including heart, kidney, and lung.”

Source: AstraZeneca