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news.Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, a RNAi therapeutics company, has earned a development milestone payment, totaling $3.2m from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in VaxiRNA collaboration on flu vaccine production.
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Alnylam’s VaxiRNA platform uses RNAi technology for the enhanced manufacturing of vaccine products and applies siRNA for the silencing of specific genes that limit or prevent efficient manufacturing of vaccine antigens, including those produced in cell culture and in eggs.
Alnylam Research and RNAi Lead Development vice president Rachel Meyers said the VaxiRNA platform is representative of the strategy, where RNAi technology is being used to increase virus titers in the production of vaccine products.
"With GSK, we are applying RNAi technology with the aim to enhance influenza vaccine production in cell culture. We look forward to continuing our efforts in this strategic collaboration," Meyers added.
In the fourth quarter of 2011, Alnylam and GSK formed collaboration which focused initially on influenza vaccine production in cell culture systems.
As per the agreement, GSK will provide research funding and certain milestone payments to Alnylam. If successfully applied in the manufacturing of commercial product, Alnylam will receive payments on unit product sales of commercialized vaccine product.
Additionally, GSK has obtained an option for VaxiRNA applications toward two additional vaccine products.