Santaris Pharma and GlaxoSmithKline have signed a deal giving GSK access to Santaris’ locked nucleic acid technology in order to develop RNA-targeted medicines. Santaris is the only company that has taken LNA drugs into clinical trials, the company said.

Locked nucleic acid technology helps deliver drug candidates against mRNA and microRNA, allowing researchers to develop therapies for diseases that cannot easily be treated with antibodies or small-molecule drugs. A small size and high affinity inhibits RNA across multiple tissue types without help from delivery vehicles, the drugmakers say.

Santaris and GSK currently have three compounds in lead discovery phase for viral disease indications.

This is the sixth partnership deal that Santaris has signed with pharmaceutical and biotech companies in the past year; the company also partners with Enzon, Shire, Pfizer and miRagen for a total of 14 products still in lead discovery.  — Lena Freund

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