Nastech Awarded Development Grant for RNAi Therapeutics

Nastech Pharmaceutical Company Inc. has announced that the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), awarded the company a Phase 1 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant.

This award will be used to further develop the Company’s small-interfering RNA therapeutics to prevent and treat influenza. Additional grants for program funding are still pending. 

Nastech is developing siRNA therapeutics that specifically target conserved regions of the influenza viral genome, based on intellectual property obtained in February 2006 from the acquisition of Galenea Corp. 

The company believes that targeting the conserved regions could enable a siRNA therapeutic to be effective against both current and future strains of the influenza virus.

The company further believes that the ability to treat future strains is essential in stockpiling a treatment for rapid mobilization during an influenza pandemic.

The goals of the grant-funded research include the design and optimization of siRNAs against seasonal and avian influenza viruses, testing in vivo activity of new siRNA delivery agents and evaluating viral drug resistance mechanisms.

The NIH funds reflect the importance of this approach to treat influenza and recognition of the strong results we have produced. 

"To date, we have demonstrated the effectiveness of our siRNA therapeutics to broadly target and inhibit influenza, both in vitro and in vivo," stated Steven C. Quay, M.D., Ph.D., Chairman, President and CEO of Nastech.

"We will continue to move this program forward in order to better meet the public.s need for a safe and effective treatment against influenza infection."