BOTHELL, Wash., Nov. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Nastech Pharmaceutical Company Inc. , a leader in developing therapeutics using advanced molecular biology-based drug delivery technologies, announced the presentation of data from its RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutic program for rheumatoid arthritis at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting.
The presentation titled “Development of siRNAs Targeting Human Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha (TNF-alpha) for the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis” included information resulting from a collaboration with Mayo Validation Support Services. Nastech’s proprietary RNAi therapeutic formulations were screened for the ability to halt the production of TNF-alpha, a protein that is over-expressed in rheumatoid arthritis and other chronic inflammatory diseases. Results demonstrated that Nastech’s proprietary RNAi therapeutics were able to significantly reduce TNF-alpha levels in cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
The study also profiled TNF-alpha messenger RNA and protein levels in rheumatoid arthritis patients who are currently on the approved therapies. Such patients were unexpectedly shown to have elevated TNF-alpha messenger RNA in their immune cells and TNF-alpha protein in their blood.
“This study confirms that there are actually increased TNF-alpha levels in patients with rheumatoid arthritis who are currently being treated with therapies which are described as TNF-alpha inhibitors,” stated Steven C. Quay, M.D., Ph.D., Chairman, President and CEO of Nastech. “This evidence and the demonstration that our RNAi therapeutic significantly reduced the TNF-alpha levels in patients’ immune cells supports the idea that the effect of RNAi is distinctively different from that of the approved therapies, and may provide a more effective treatment option.”
About RNA Interference
RNAi is a cellular pathway in which double-stranded RNA molecules can silence a specific gene, by degrading its mRNA, resulting in reduction of the amount of the protein the gene produces. RNAi can be used as a research tool to analyze and determine the effectiveness of tight junction proteins affecting drug delivery. RNAi can also be used as a therapeutic strategy to decrease levels of specific proteins associated with disease. Nastech’s RNAi research and development program seeks to enhance the systemic delivery of this potential new class of therapeutics.
About Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic disease mainly characterized by inflammation of the lining, or synovium, of the joints. RA affects 1 percent of the U.S. population, or 2.1 million Americans. It can lead to long-term joint damage, resulting in chronic pain, loss of function and disability. Further, RA is a systemic disease, which means it can affect other organs in the body. The disease progresses in three stages: first, the synovial lining swells, causing pain, warmth, stiffness, redness and swelling around the joint; second, the rapid division and growth of cells, or pannus, causes the synovium to thicken; and lastly, the inflamed cells release enzymes that may digest bone and cartilage, often causing the involved joint to lose its shape and alignment and causing more pain and loss of movement. Currently, the cause of RA is unknown.
According to independent sources, available therapies for TNF-alpha, such as Centocor and Schering-Plough’s Remicade(R), Amgen/Wyeth’s Enbrel(R), and Abbott’s Humira(R) together have sales over a billion dollars. If proven safe and effective, RNAi-based therapeutics could play an important role in the treatment of RA, as they have a different mechanism of action from the currently approved therapies.
About Mayo Validation Support Services
Mayo Validation Support Services, an affiliate of Mayo Clinic, based in Rochester, Minnesota assists pharmaceutical, biotechnology and diagnostic companies in the preclinical validation of promising targets, lead compounds, biomarkers and tests. These collaborations include access to medical expertise, deidentified biospecimens and comprehensive clinical data. With a focus on the patient, MVSS collaborates with organizations to help bring new diagnostic and therapeutic discoveries to people around the world.
About Nastech
We are a pharmaceutical company developing innovative products based on proprietary molecular biology-based drug delivery technologies. We and our collaboration partners are developing products for multiple therapeutic areas including inflammatory conditions, obesity and osteoporosis. Additional information about Nastech is available at www.nastech.com.
Nastech Forward-Looking Statements
Statements made in this press release may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of Federal Securities laws that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties and involve factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or suggested. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: (i) the ability of Nastech to obtain additional funding; (ii) the ability of Nastech to attract and/or maintain manufacturing, research, development and commercialization partners; (iii) Nastech’s and/or a partner’s ability to successfully complete product research and development, including preclinical and clinical studies and commercialization; (iv) Nastech’s and/or a partner’s ability to obtain required governmental approvals; and (v) Nastech’s and/or a partner’s ability to develop and commercialize products that can compete favorably with those of competitors. Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or suggested in any forward-looking statements are contained in Nastech’s most recent periodic reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q that are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Nastech assumes no obligation to update and supplement forward-looking statements because of subsequent events.
CONTACTS: Nastech Ed Bell Senior Investor Relations Manager (425) 908-3639 ir@nastech.com Noonan Russo Matthew Haines (Investors/Media) (212) 845-4235
Nastech Pharmaceutical Company Inc.
CONTACT: Ed Bell, Senior Investor Relations Manager of Nastech, +1-425-908-3639, or ir@nastech.com; or Matthew Haines, Investors/Media, NoonanRusso, +1-212-845-4235
Web site: http://www.nastech.com/
