Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading RNAi therapeutics company, has obtained rights to RNAi delivery technology developed in the laboratory of Professor Judy Lieberman from the CBR Institute for Biomedical Research, a Harvard Medical School Affiliate.

The in-licensed technology may enable small interfering RNAs - or siRNAs, the molecules that mediate RNAi - to be targeted with an engineered monoclonal antibody to tumours and other cell types, thereby broadening the scope of Alnylam's delivery technologies for RNAi therapeutics. The in-licensed technology represents another potential approach for delivery of RNAi therapeutics with systemic administration, stated a release.

"Our work in the area of RNAi demonstrates that antibody fusion proteins could potentially mediate both systemic and cell-type-specific delivery of siRNAs," said Judy Lieberman, senior investigator, CBR Institute for Biomedical Research and Professor of Paediatrics.

"Dr. Lieberman is a world-leading academic researcher in the field of RNAi technology for potential therapeutic applications. In-licensing this promising approach is part of our overall strategy to build the broadest platform of technology and intellectual property for the development of RNAi therapeutics," John Maraganore, president and chief executive officer of Alnylam said adding, "We believe our internal efforts, combined with access to technology from delivery-platform companies and premier academic labs such as Dr. Lieberman's, will continue to provide Alnylam with the leading capabilities in the field of RNAi."

In addition to this license agreement with CBR Institute, Alnylam recently entered into two relationships providing access to technologies for the systemic delivery of RNAi therapeutics. The first agreement was with Inex Pharmaceuticals Corporation and provides access to fundamental liposome delivery technology and intellectual property for systemic RNAi therapeutics. The second agreement was with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.), and provides access to novel liposome technology being developed in the laboratory of Professor Robert S. Langer.