Tacere Inks Deal With Oncolys BioPharma For RNAi Candidate

Tacere Therapeutics has entered into a strategic alliance with Tokyo-based Oncolys BioPharma to develop its lead RNA interference-based candidate for treatment of hepatitis C, the companies announced June 21.

Under the agreement, Oncolys has an option to acquire the Asian rights for Tacere's TT-033, which the firm said it will market as OBP-701 in the region. In addition, Oncolys has made an equity investment in Tacere of an undisclosed amount.

San Jose, Calif.-based Tacere will begin IND-enabling studies of TT-033 "shortly" and anticipates initiating Phase I trials in late 2008.

"Following our recent successful pre-IND meeting with the FDA, we share the excitement of seeing this product advance to the clinic," Tacere CEO Sara Hall said.

"HCV continues to be a significant public health crisis in Japan, China, and Korea, and we look forward to Oncolys' expert guidance along the regulatory and marketing path in Asia," she added.

TT-033 is composed of "three separate RNAi elements entrapped in an AAV protein coat," Tacere explains, noting "AAV delivery methods have demonstrated clinical safety and the ability to penetrate hepatocytes (the site of HCV replication) at high levels following a single intravenous administration."

The RNAi market has garnered increasing attention from big pharma recently. Pfizer signed a licensing agreement in January for Sigma-Aldrich's DNA-directed RNAi technology ("The Pink Sheet" DAILY, Jan. 4, 2007). The company also gained a worldwide license to Quark Biotech's RTP-801 gene, which targets wet age-related macular degeneration, in September.

In October, Merck acquired San Francisco-based biotech Sirna Therapeutics, which is focused on RNA interference therapies, for $1.1 billion ("The Pink Sheet" DAILY, Oct. 30, 2006).

Alnylam holds a number of key patents in the area, which has paved the way for deals with companies including Novartis, Merck and Biogen Idec. In a November interview with "The Pink Sheet" DAILY, Alnylam CEO John Maraganore asserted that any firm that plans to develop and commercialize RNAi therapeutics will eventually need to license Alnylam intellectual property ("The Pink Sheet" DAILY, Nov. 9, 2006).

-Brooke McManus

This article is reprinted from "The Pink Sheet" DAILY – June 25, 2007

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