BioWorld International Correspondent

PARIS - Polyplus-transfection signed a collaboration agreement with Alnylam Pharmaceuticals under which it is to supply its RNAi therapeutic delivery technology to the U.S. company and give it access to its know-how in the formulation of siRNAs, the molecules that mediate RNAi in vivo.

Alnylam, of Cambridge, Mass., will evaluate Polyplus' formulations for the delivery of RNAi therapeutics in a number of pathologies. The other terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Describing Alnylam as the "leading RNAi therapeutics company," the CEO of Polyplus-transfection, Joelle Bloch, said it was "delighted to be collaborating with a firm at the cutting edge. A big advantage of this relationship is that Polyplus-transfection will benefit from having its chemical carriers tested in several disease models, while working with the most advanced target sequences and mixed chemical siRNA modifications from Alnylam."

Polyplus-transfection, of Strasbourg, France, specialized in the development and marketing of reagents for RNA interference (RNAi) and transfection.

It is developing several in vivo siRNA formulations based on two lead compounds, the main one being in vivo jetPEI, which allows intracellular delivery of nucleic acids and is now GMP available.

The compound is derived from the synthetic molecule polyethylenimine (PEI), for which Polyplus-transfection holds an exclusive worldwide license for the transfection of nucleic acids.