(RTTNews) -  Wednesday, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ALNY: News ) said its therapeutic ALN-VSP to treat patients with liver cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma and other solid tumors, showed positive data in pre-clinical studies.

The pre-clinical trial data demonstrated robust anti-tumor activity in orthotopic liver tumor - of both HCC and colorectal cancer-derived cell lines. Studies showed ALN-VSP active on disseminated tumors outside of the liver, with a potent anti-angiogenic effect on tumors.

ALN-VSP is an RNAi therapeutic designed to target two genes critical in the growth and survival of cancer cells - kinesin spindle protein required for tumor cell proliferation; and vascular endothelial growth factor, required for blood vessel formation to sustain tumor growth.

The therapeutic ALN-VSP is currently in a phase I clinical trial for treatment of liver cancers and preliminary results of the trial are expected to be announced mid-2010. The phase I trial is a multicenter, open-label, dose-escalation trial to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of ALN-VSP in patients with advanced solid tumors with liver involvement, including HCC.
ALN-VSP is formulated in collaboration with Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corporation (TKM.TO: News ).

ALNY is currently trading at $17.49, up $0.05, on the Nasdaq, while TKM.TO is trading at C$0.96, down C$0.02, on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

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by RTT Staff Writer

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