Nastech Presents In Vitro and In Vivo Results with its RNAi Therapeutics Program for Influenza

Nastech Pharmaceutical Company Inc. has announced the presentation of results demonstrating the effectiveness of the Company's small interfering RNA therapeutics to broadly target and inhibit influenza viral production at the 8th International Symposium on Respiratory Viral Infections Conference.

In vitro and in vivo results were presented for siRNAs that are designed to target conserved regions of the influenza viral genome.

Nastech believe that targeting the conserved regions could enable a siRNA therapeutic to be effective against both current and future strains of the influenza virus, which is essential in stockpiling a treatment for rapid mobilization during an influenza pandemic.

In vitro screening results identified potent siRNAs with IC50 values between 20 and 500 pM that were effective against representative human and avian influenza strains, including H5N1 avian influenza virus.

Furthermore, in vivo results demonstrate that direct-to-lung and intravenous administrations of selected proprietary formulations of siRNAs effectively inhibit influenza viral production in a preclinical model. A 200-fold reduction of viral concentration in the blood was observed.

"Nastech's goal is to rapidly develop a safe and effective treatment that is broadly applicable against current and future influenza strains so that the medical community can be better prepared for an influenza pandemic, which has become an impending threat to worldwide public health," stated Steven C. Quay, M.D., Ph.D., Chairman, President and CEO of Nastech.

"The results presented by Nastech demonstrate the effective inhibition of influenza virus production by a siRNA therapeutic and further validate Nastech's advanced delivery technology and siRNA therapeutic development capabilities."