AVI BioPharma and Leading Researchers at Karolinska Institutet Form Collaboration to Identify RNA-Based Therapeutic Candidates f
January 05 2011 - 8:00AM
Marketwired
AVI BioPharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVII), a developer of RNA-based
therapeutics, announced today the formation of a collaboration with
leading scientists at the Swedish medical university Karolinska
Institutet to identify RNA-based therapeutic candidates for the
treatment of Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (XDR-TB).
XDR-TB is a severe infection that occurs worldwide and represents a
significant threat to global public health. One-third of the
world's population carries the tuberculosis bacterium, and XDR-TB
strains are highly and increasingly resistant to currently
available treatments.
Research under the collaboration will evaluate novel RNA-based
drug candidates employing AVI's proprietary, intrinsically
charge-neutral, phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer (PMO) based
chemistry platform. The drug candidates will target individual
human host and bacterial genes, as well as combinations of
PMO-based drug candidates that target both host and bacterial
genes.
"This collaboration pairs AVI's experience targeting bacterial
and host factor genes using proprietary PMO-based chemistries with
world scientific leaders in the research and treatment of XDR-TB, a
growing global public health concern," said Chris Garabedian, AVI's
CEO and president. "We look forward to a productive relationship
with the scientists and researchers at the Karolinska Institutet as
we jointly seek to advance the fight against XDR-TB using the broad
potential of our RNA-based technologies. We believe this initial
collaboration on XDR-TB will provide AVI's scientific team with a
valuable opportunity to further enhance our infectious disease
expertise and pipeline in an area of strategic focus for the
company's proprietary RNA-based drug discovery and development
platform."
Professor Markus Maeurer, Scientific Project Leader at
Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, added, "Based on our research
in pathogen-host interaction in XDR-TB, we believe there is
distinct promise in RNA-based therapeutics using PMO-based
oligomers to target and manipulate bacterial and host genes. For
this reason, we chose to work with AVI to rapidly develop
therapeutics for patients in need."
Using AVI's RNA-based platform technologies, the collaborators
will identify therapeutic candidates targeting bacterial and host
genes. AVI will retain rights to the therapeutic candidates
employed in the collaboration. Intellectual property developed
under the collaboration will be jointly owned, and AVI will hold an
exclusive option to negotiate with the Karolinska Institutet to
acquire its interest in that intellectual property. Funding and
research support for the activities under the collaboration will be
provided by both parties.
About Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis
(XDR-TB) XDR-TB is a form of tuberculosis (TB) resistant to
therapeutics developed to treat the disease. According to the World
Health Organization, one in three people in the world is infected
with a form of TB bacteria. It is estimated that there are up to
40,000 cases of XDR-TB annually, which often result from poor
compliance with treatment regimens for TB and its initial
multidrug-resistant form.
XDR-TB bacteria are resistant to first line therapies, including
isoniazid and rifampicin, any fluoroquinolone and at least one of
three injectable second-line drugs (capreomycin, kanamycin, and
amikacin). Because XDR-TB is resistant to the first-line and
second-line drugs, patients are left with limited treatment options
that are less effective and often have worse treatment outcomes. It
is estimated that a cure is possible only for an estimated 30
percent of affected people.
Like TB, XDR-TB is spread by breathing in bacteria that are
propelled into the air by an infected person through coughing,
sneezing, or simply talking. Symptoms of TB and XDR-TB are also
similar and include weakness, weight loss, fever, night sweats,
coughing, chest pain and coughing up blood. XDR-TB is a potentially
fatal disease.
About Karolinska Institutet Karolinska
Institutet is one of the world's leading medical universities. Its
mission is to contribute to the improvement of human health through
research and education. Karolinska Institutet accounts for over 40
percent of the medical academic research conducted in Sweden and
offers the country's broadest range of education in medicine and
health sciences. Since 1901 the Nobel Assembly at Karolinska
Institutet has selected the Nobel laureates in Physiology or
Medicine. For more information, visit ki.se.
About AVI BioPharma AVI BioPharma is
focused on the discovery and development of novel RNA-based
therapeutics for rare and infectious diseases, as well as other
select disease targets. Applying pioneering technologies developed
and optimized by AVI, the Company is able to target a broad range
of diseases and disorders through distinct RNA-based mechanisms of
action. Unlike other RNA-based approaches, AVI's technologies can
be used to directly target both messenger RNA (mRNA) and precursor
messenger RNA (pre-mRNA) to either down-regulate (inhibit) or
up-regulate (promote) the expression of targeted genes or proteins.
By leveraging its highly differentiated RNA-based technology
platform, AVI has built a pipeline of potentially transformative
therapeutic agents, including a clinical stage Duchenne muscular
dystrophy candidate and anti-infective candidates for influenza and
hemorrhagic fever viruses. For more information, visit
www.avibio.com.
Forward-Looking Statements and Information
This press release contains statements that are forward-looking,
including statements about the evaluation of RNA-based therapeutic
candidates for the treatment of XDR-TB; and AVI's PMO-based
chemistry and its ability to target and manipulate bacterial and
host genes in the treatment of XDR-TB. These forward-looking
statements involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are
beyond AVI's control. Known risk factors include, among others:
research may not identify any RNA-based therapeutic candidates; and
any of AVI's drug candidates may fail in development, may not
receive required regulatory approvals, or be delayed to a point
where they do not become commercially viable. Any of the foregoing
risks could materially and adversely affect AVI's business, results
of operations and the trading price of its common stock. For a
detailed description of risks and uncertainties AVI faces, you are
encouraged to review the official corporate documents filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission. AVI does not undertake any
obligation to publicly update its forward-looking statements based
on events or circumstances after the date hereof.
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