Alnylam specializes in developing therapeutics based on RNAi, which is a naturally occurring mechanism within cells for selectively silencing and regulating specific genes. Since many diseases are caused by the inappropriate activity of specific genes, the ability to silence genes selectively through RNAi could provide a new way to treat a wide range of human disease.
In developing RNAi therapeutics, researchers must be able to monitor the biodistribution of the drugs throughout the body. Gen-Probe’s hybridization protection assay (HPA) technology detects these circulating RNAi molecules.
Based on the high sensitivity of HPA, researchers can use it to detect target molecules without employing cumbersome and time-consuming amplification steps.
“This agreement enables us to generate economic value from our proprietary technologies in an exciting, growing area that is outside our molecular diagnostic focus,” said Martin Edelshain, Gen-Probe’s vice president of corporate development.