Alnylam Biotherapeutics
Alnylam is applying RNAi technology to improve the manufacturing processes for biologics, an approach that has the potential to create new business opportunities and which the company is advancing in an internal effort called "Alnylam Biotherapeutics."
This initiative is focused on applying RNAi technologies to transform the $100 billion biologics marketplace, which is comprised of recombinant proteins, monoclonal antibodies, and vaccines.
Alnylam is advancing RNAi technologies to improve the quantity and quality of biologics manufacturing processes using mammalian cell culture, such as Chinese hamster ovary cells, or "CHO" cells. This RNAi technology can be applied to the improvement of manufacturing processes for existing marketed drugs, new drugs in development, and for the emerging biosimilars market. Alnylam has developed proprietary delivery lipids that enable the efficient transfection of siRNAs into CHO cells when grown in suspension culture. Studies have demonstrated that silencing certain target genes involved in certain CHO cell apoptotic and metabolic pathways resulted in 40 to 60% improved cell viability as compared with untreated cells.
As Alnylam Biotherapeutics advances the technology, it plans to seek partnerships with established biologic manufacturers, selling licenses, products, and services. Alnylam Biotherapeutics is comprised of a focused team of Alnylam employees and the company plans to retain complete ownership of this effort at the present time.
VaxiRNA™
VaxiRNA stems from work Alnylam has performed as part of its Alnylam Biotherapeutics efforts, where RNAi technology has been applied to improve the manufacture of biotherapeutic products, such as recombinant proteins and monoclonal antibodies. The VaxiRNA platform applies siRNAs for the silencing of specific genes that limit or prevent efficient growth of viruses in vaccine manufacturing systems, including those in cell culture and also in eggs. This new platform addresses the significant unmet commercial need for innovative technologies that can improve the manufacture of vaccine products, especially where vaccine production is a limiting factor for the scale and speed of global immunization needs.
In November 2011, we announced a collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline focused on our VaxiRNA technology for certain GSK vaccine products. The GSK collaboration is initially focused on influenza vaccine production in cell culture systems, for which GSK will provide funding and certain milestone payments to Alnylam. If successfully applied in the manufacture of commercial product, Alnylam will receive payments on unit product sales. In addition, GSK has obtained an option for VaxiRNA applications toward two additional vaccine products.
Alnylam Biotherapeutics Scientific Advisory Board
Daniel Anderson, Ph.D. Faculty member in the departments of Chemical Engineering, the Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Division of Health Science Technology, and the David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT.
Charles L. Cooney, Ph.D. Robert T. Haslam (1911) professor of chemical and biochemical engineering and faculty director for the Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation at MIT; Director of Polypore International, Inc., and Biocon Limited (India); Principal of BioInformation Associates Inc.; Director of Genzyme Corporation since 1983.
Robert S. Langer, Ph.D. David H. Koch Institute Professor at MIT; Member of the Institute of Medicine, the National Academy of Engineering, and the National Academy of Sciences.
