November 4, 2019 News / Ming Zhou biological --- Dicerna Pharmaceuticals is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, biopharmaceutical company focused on using its proprietary RNA interference (RNAi) technology platform to treat liver diseases and cancer new therapies. Recently, the company announced a research collaboration and licensing agreement with Roche, the use of Dicerna company's proprietary platform technology development GalXC RNAi treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection of innovative therapies.
The partnership will focus on DCR-HBVS global development and commercialization, which is Dicerna company is in Phase I clinical development of an investigational therapy. The partnership also includes the use of two company's technology platform to discover and develop more additional human viral gene therapy targeting HBV infection and related.
DCR-HBVS selectively using RNAi knockdown of a specific gene in addition to the HBV messenger RNA (mRNA) production and associated viral entry into hepatocytes. Observed in HBV infected mouse model, this method of circulating hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) decreased by 99.9%. These data suggest that, DCR-HBVS can induce clearance of HBsAg, HBV cure for functional significance. Currently, Dicerna company is conducting a randomized placebo-controlled Phase I clinical trial to assess the DCR-HBVS in healthy volunteers (HV) and non-cirrhotic chronic HBV infection in safety and tolerability.
Currently, hepatitis B drugs on the market (such as nucleoside analogs), if taken continuously, can provide long-term viral suppression, but rarely lead to long-term functional cure. In contrast, drugs based on RNA interference (RNAi) and antisense RNA technology, can look for in a highly specific manner, combined destruction and HBV RNA transcripts, silence all HBV gene product, to prevent the virus protein production, and care in the current standard reverse transcription and upstream of nucleotide analogue nucleosides intervention. Knockout viral proteins, it is expected to restore the body's natural immune defense system, the immune response to HBV, virus removal, to achieve functional cure. These drugs are expected to revolutionize the treatment of hepatitis.
Currently, there are a number of pharmaceutical companies are taking advantage of RNAi and antisense RNA technology to develop a drug to treat chronic hepatitis B, in addition to Dicerna / Roche (DCR-HBVS), further including: Johnson & Johnson / Arrowhead Company (JNJ-3989, formerly known as ARO- HBV), Ionis / GlaxoSmithKline (antisense RNA drugs), Vir / Alnylam (VIR- 2218), Arbutus company (GalNAc-RNAi drugs AB-729) and so on.
The end of August this year, Johnson & Johnson / Arrowhead start Phase IIb clinical study (REEF-1), were administered to patients with different combinations of programs, including RNAi drugs JNJ-3989 (formerly known as ARO-HBV) and / or JNJ-6379 and A nuclear glycosides (acid) analogue (NA). JNJ-3989 is a subcutaneous injection of antiviral drugs targeting the liver, aims to RNA interference (RNAi) mechanism for the treatment of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Currently, JNJ-3989 is being developed as a potentially curative therapy for HBV infection. JNJ-3989 can silencing all HBV gene product; JNJ-6379 is an orally administered capsid assembly modulator (CAM), HBV capsid assembly capable of blocking the normal replication process (Ming Zhou organisms) .