Vir Biotechnology, Alnylam Identify VIR-2703 Candidate For Treatment Of COVID-19

(RTTNews) - Vir Biotechnology, Inc. (VIR) and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ALNY) announced Monday that they have selected a development candidate (DC) for VIR-2703 (ALN-COV), an investigational RNAi therapeutic targeting the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) genome.

The companies plan to advance VIR-2703 as an inhalational formulation for the potential treatment and/or prevention of COVID-19.

Vir and Alnylam will work closely together to generate the data required to enable rapid commencement of clinical studies in humans at or around year-end.

The companies are meeting the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other regulatory authorities soon to discuss a potential accelerated path for filing an Investigational New Drug (IND) or IND equivalent application at or around year-end 2020, less than a year since program initiation.

VIR-2703 is an inhaled SARS-CoV-2-targeting siRNA that may have utility for prevention or for treatment. It leverages Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s latest advances in lung delivery of siRNAs and may have applicability to other coronaviruses as well.

VIR-2703 is the first development candidate selected in the company's expanded collaboration with Alnylam for up to four RNAi potential therapeutics for COVID-19.