CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Archemix Corp., a biotechnology company focused on discovering and developing aptamers, announced the successful completion of a Phase 1 study of its novel aptamer therapeutic, ARC1779. ARC1779 is designed to selectively block the activation, adhesion and aggregation of platelets by inhibiting the binding of von Willebrand Factor (vWF) to the GPIb receptor on platelets. Activated vWF is scientifically recognized as the first stage of arterial thrombus formation and plays a significant role in the development of harmful blood clots. Archemix plans to develop ARC1779 as an anti-thrombotic drug for use in angioplasty and in a rare blood disorder that is mediated by vWF known as thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, or TTP.
