Therapeutic sshRNAs
SomaGenics has pioneered the discovery and development of a unique class of short interfering RNAs called sshRNAs. Structurally distinct from the more commonly used siRNAs and expressed shRNAs, they are short, chemically modified RNA sequences that are synthesized as single strands. SshRNAs have outstanding potency and possess attractive pharmacokinetic properties without undesirable immune stimulation.
Somagenics’ sshRNAs have been proven to be very effective against the hepatitis C virus (HCV).
Pipeline
Somagenics has received NIH funding to further develop and expand its pipeline of sshRNAs drug candidates in these therapeutic areas:
Hepatitis delta virus (HDV)
Hepatitis delta is the most serious form of viral hepatitis and affects 15-20 million people worldwide. No specific treatment is available for HDV. SomaGenics' preclinical development of synthetic small hairpin RNAs (sshRNAs) targets the viral RNAs required for the HDV replication cycle.
Wound Healing
SomaGenics’ wound healing program is focused on treatment of chronic wounds of diabetics. These wounds, frequently occurring on the feet, are the major reason for amputations in the diabetic population and represent a large unmet medical need. The company’s combination of therapeutic RNAs are designed to restore the normal wound healing process in chronic diabetic wounds.
SomaGenics is seeking collaborations to develop sshRNAs for novel targets. Please contact us for more information.