Merck to Launch Nanotech Delivery Request Program at NSTI Nanotech 2007

Nanotech 2007, which is said to be the nation’s largest nanotech conference and trade show, has announced the Merck Nanotech Delivery Request Program will take place at Nanotech 2007.

“With Merck’s purchase of Sirna Therapeutics, a leader in efforts to create RNAi-based therapeutics, there may be the opportunity to greatly accelerate research that could significantly alter the treatment of disease,” said Bart Romanowicz, Executive Director of the Nano Science & Technology Institute (NSTI), producers of Nanotech 2007.

“RNAi-based therapeutics selectively catalyze the destruction of the RNA transcribed from an individual gene, enabling a novel approach to discovering drugs with the potential to produce highly specific, potent, and long-lasting effects.”

Representatives from Merck will make a special presentation to researchers and scientists in universities and companies at the conference on May 23.

The presentation will focus on areas Merck is especially interested in developing collaboration around, specifically, enabling technologies that can be applied to the targeted delivery of siRNA particles in-vivo. Examples might include self-assembling polymer nanoparticles and cellular/organ-specific targeting strategies.

Merck will also discuss their interest in assays to follow intracellular processing and trafficking of siRNA.