Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and Vir Biotechnology have teamed up to develop RNAi therapeutics against the coronavirus behind the COVID-19 outbreak. The collaboration builds on Alnylam synthesis of siRNAs that target highly conserved regions of coronavirus RNA.
Vir and Alnylam joined forces to develop up to six siRNAs against infectious diseases in 2017, leading to the initiation of a clinical trial of a hepatitis B candidate. The coronavirus collaboration expands on that existing agreement and gives the partners the chance to pool their resources to develop siRNAs with the potential to tackle the virus.
