Less than a month after publishing data showing that siRNAs formulated in its lipid nanoparticles could provide 100 percent post-exposure protection against Marburg virus infection in guinea pigs, Tekmira Pharmaceuticals has announced similar findings in non-human primates.
The company said this week that in one study, a 0.5 mg/kg dose of an anti-Marburg compound dubbed TKM-Marburg led to 100 percent survival in non-human primates one hour after infection with an ordinarily lethal dose of the Angola strain of the virus. Dosing was continued once a day for seven days.
In a separate study, complete survival of non-human primate test animals was achieved with the same dose given 24 hours after infection.
As reported by Gene Silencing News, Tekmira previously reported positive outcomes treating guinea pigs that had been infected with the Angola strain of Marburg, as well as other virus lineages (GSN 9/5/2013).