Tekmira and Collaborators Publish Positive Preclinical Ebola Survival Data in Nature Journal

Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corporation

, an industry-leading therapeutic solutions company focused on developing a cure for chronic hepatitis B virus infection (HBV), announced today the publication of preclinical data highlighting positive results against Ebola virus Makona infection using a newly adjusted siRNA cocktail. The paper is titled, "Lipid Nanoparticle siRNA Treatment of Ebola Virus Makona-infected Nonhuman Primates," (Thi et al., Nature April 22, 2015, doi:10.1038/nature14442). Tekmira, along with its collaborators at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, USA, jointly conducted a preclinical study demonstrating 100% survival of nonhuman primates infected with the West Africa Makona strain of Ebola virus, previously referred to as the Guinea strain. Complete survival was observed even when treatment did not begin until three days after viral exposure, a time point at which animals were five to six days away from death. "We are pleased to report these preclinical efficacy results. As far as we are aware, these data are the first successful demonstration of anti-Ebola virus therapeutic efficacy against the Makona strain in nonhuman primates," said Dr. Mark Murray, Tekmira's President and CEO. "These results underscore the adaptability of our siRNA-LNP technology in response to emerging infections. In this case, we rapidly went from new viral sequence data availability, to clinical product adapted to the new Makona strain." TKM-Ebola-Guinea (targeting the Makona strain), containing the adjusted siRNA cocktail used in the pre-clinical study, is currently being evaluated in a Phase II clinical study in Sierra Leone with results expected in the second half of 2015. The study is being conducted by the University of Oxford on behalf of the International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium (ISARIC), with funding by the Wellcome Trust.