Tekmira Pharma, Pfizer Enter Into New Research Collaboration

Both the companies are expected to collaborate on evaluating Tekmira’s stable nucleic acid-lipid particle (SNALP) technology to deliver small interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules provided by Pfizer.

Under the agreement, Tekmira will be responsible for preparing the SNALP formulations, whereas, Pfizer will evaluate the formulations in preclinical models.

The agreement is Tekmira’s first formal research collaboration with Pfizer. Tekmira currently has license or collaborative agreements in place with seven other pharma and biotechnology companies.

Mark Murray, president and CEO of Tekmira, said: “We are pleased to be working with Pfizer. The collaboration combines Tekmira’s expertise in the delivery of RNAi therapeutics with Pfizer’s research excellence in nucleic acid therapeutics. We continue to collaborate with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies thereby broadening the use of our SNALP delivery platform. Our goal is to sign additional collaborative agreements in 2010.”