Qiagen N.V. and Intradigm Corporation, a leader in RNAi in vivo delivery technology, have entered into an agreement providing for research and development of siRNA for drug discovery and siRNA therapeutic products. Qiagen will manufacture and provide Intradigm with siRNA agents for its ongoing research programs in several disease areas, including oncology, arthritis, and pulmonary siRNA treatment of SARS Coronavirus infection. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Qiagen has a leading position in siRNA synthesis technology using patented TOM-Amidite chemistry to produce HPP (High Performance Purity) Grade siRNA for efficient gene silencing. QIAGEN is a licensed supplier of siRNA, offering custom high throughput siRNA oligonucleotide synthesis services and a large library of predeveloped siRNA molecules directed against common target genes which includes the SARS Coronavirus siRNA Set specific for the human coronavirus.

Intradigm has developed systemic and local siRNA delivery technologies for knocking down disease genes in animals and has validated the therapeutic potentials of siRNA agents for treatment of cancer, viral infection and other unmet clinical needs. Using effective airway delivery of siRNA duplexes specific to SARS Coronavirus, a single stranded RNA virus, may represent a novel approach to treat the deadly infection. Using at least 48 sets of siRNA oligos to be designed by Intradigm and Qiagen and manufactured by Qiagen, Intradigm will determine optimal siRNA agents and delivery to inhibit SARS viral infection as potential anti-SARS therapy through work with collaborators in National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of USA and in Hong Kong and Guangzhou of China.