Ribozyme Pharmaceuticals Inc (RPI) and Geron Corporation have entered into an agreement under which RPI will manufacture GRN163, Geron's lead anti-cancer drug. GRN163 acts by inhibiting telomerase, an enzyme which facilitates indefinite cell division, an important factor in the development of cancers.

This new agreement follows the successful process development collaboration between Geron and RPI, previously announced in December of 2001 for the scale up and optimization of the manufacturing process. Pre-clinical studies of GRN163 have demonstrated anti-tumor activity in animal models of glioblastoma (brain cancer), prostate cancer, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma.

"We are pleased to move forward to the manufacturing stage of our collaboration with Geron," said Marvin Tancer, Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Operations, Ribozyme Pharmaceuticals. "Leveraging RPI's expertise in nucleic acid technology through collaborations with companies like Geron supports our business strategy by generating near-term revenues and capitalizing on our technology and expertise."