MADISON, Wis., Aug. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Mirus Bio Corporation today announced that it has been awarded five federal grants and contracts since January of this year totaling $5.4 million. They include:
-- Two Phase II SBIR grants totaling $2.4 million to further develop the Company’s Dynamic PolyConjugates(TM) siRNA delivery platform and alternative nanoparticle technologies, focused primarily on improving potency for liver applications; [Principal Investigators Drs. D. Rozema and S. Wong] -- One Phase II DOD contract for $1.8 million to optimize the Dynamic PolyConjugates(TM) siRNA delivery platform for lung delivery and to develop a treatment against respiratory infections; [Principal Investigator Dr. H. Herweijer] -- A Phase I SBIR grant for $0.3 million to improve gene expression technologies; and [Principal Investigator Dr. M. Sebestyen] -- A previously announced Phase II SBIR grant for $0.9 million to develop improved labeling technologies for microRNA, which is expected to lead to new research products. [Principal Investigator Dr. M. Watt]
“Securing this magnitude of support highlights the wide breadth of potential uses for this platform delivery technology and is a tribute to the outstanding cutting edge technology development being done by our research team,” commented Jon Wolff, M.D., Mirus Bio’s CSO and co-founder. “In this era of heightened competition for federal research grants, we are exceptionally pleased with this outcome and couldn’t be more proud of our team as well as the grant procurement management that Dr. Hans Herweijer has provided. These funds are critical to maintaining our leadership position in nucleic acid delivery technologies.”
Dynamic PolyConjugates(TM) (DPC) are an enabling platform for the targeted, systemic delivery of small interfering RNA (siRNA), a molecule that triggers a natural cellular process called RNA interference. By selectively silencing the expression of a gene, one can prevent the production of disease-causing proteins. DPCs are comprised of proprietary polymers, masking agents and targeting molecules that are linked to the siRNA payload and shield it as it is injected into the bloodstream. When the DPCs attach to and are taken up by the target cells, they disassemble and release their siRNA cargo so that it becomes functionally available. This technology is currently being optimized for delivery to liver and cancer tissues, and is actively being evaluated by select partners as a therapeutic platform for multiple disease indications.
About Mirus Bio Corporation:
Mirus Bio Corporation is a leader in the fields of RNA interference and gene therapy, based upon its expertise in nucleic acid chemistry and delivery. The company’s Dynamic PolyConjugates(TM) technology is being refined as an enabling platform for siRNA therapeutics. In gene therapy, the company is developing novel human therapeutics enabled by its proprietary Pathway IV(TM) hydrodynamic delivery platform. The lead program is a treatment for Muscular Dystrophy, which is being developed collaboratively with Transgene S.A. of Strasbourg, France. Finally, the company currently markets state-of-the-art DNA and siRNA transfection and labeling products to researchers worldwide.
For more information go to: http://www.mirusbio.com
Mirus Bio Corporation
CONTACT: Russell Smestad, President of Mirus Bio Corporation,+1-608-238-4400, Russ.Smestad@MirusBio.com
Web site: http://www.mirusbio.com/
