New Kind of Gene "Silencing" Drug Works In Monkeys, Santaris Pharma A/S and University of Copenhagen Study
LONDON (Reuters) - A new class of drug that fine tunes the action of genes has been shown to cut cholesterol in monkeys and may fight a range of ills, including hepatitis C and perhaps cancer, scientists said on Wednesday. The compound, from Danish biotech firm Santaris Pharma, works by blocking or "silencing" microRNAs -- tiny strands of RNA, or ribonucleic acid, that help turn genes into proteins.