Quark Pharmaceuticals Presents at Asia TIDES ...( Highlights First Systemic siRNA Admin...),Health

Highlights First Systemic siRNA Administered in Humans and Quark's Proprietary siRNA Structures

FREMONT, Calif., March 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Quark Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a development-stage pharmaceutical company discovering and developing novel RNA interference (RNAi)-based therapeutics, today announced that James D. Thompson, Ph.D., Vice President, Pharmaceutical Development presented an overview of Quark's novel pipeline of synthetic siRNA compounds at the Asia TIDES Oligonucleotide and Peptide(R) Technology and Product Development Conference, held February 24th, 2009 in Tokyo, Japan.

Dr. Thompson's presentation, entitled "Design and Development Strategies for Clinical Applications of Synthetic siRNAs," highlighted Quark's ongoing clinical studies. His case study on QPI-1002 detailed the first systemic administration of a synthetic siRNA in man, results from IND-enabling efficacy and toxicology studies and the largest cGMP manufacture of synthetic siRNA of its time. QPI-1002, also known as I5NP and AKIi-5, is currently being evaluated in two Phase I/IIa clinical studies for the prevention of acute kidney injury (AKI) and a Phase I/II clinical study for the prophylaxis of delayed graft function (DGF) following renal transplantation.

In addition to the case study of QPI-1002, Dr. Thompson provided an update on QPI-1007, Quark's first proprietary siRNA drug candidate based on its intellectual property covering a host of novel structures. The chemically modified siRNA exhibits optimal activity and stability while attenuating potential off-target effects. The novel structures developed in collaboration with BioSpring GmbH give Quark freedom to operate in the siRNA IP space. QPI-1007 is in advanced IND-enabling preclinical studies for the treatment of non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy and has demonstrated proof-of-concept efficacy as a neuroprotective agent in animal models of eye diseases<
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