N4 Pharma reports progress with siRNA work

The AIM-traded company said it had successfully completed the single loading of both EGFR and BCL-2 siRNA nucleotides onto Nuvec, its proprietary delivery system for cancer treatments and vaccines.

It said the produced monodisperse formulations had been promising at all doses to be investigated.

The single-loaded EGFR siRNA demonstrated strong silencing of the EGFR gene, it explained, with a good dose response curve established, allowing the company to determine the dose to be used in the in-vivo study.

N4 said the next step for EGFR was to measure cell apoptosis, which would show a relevant in vitro clinical effect.

However, supply issues of siRNA from limited sources had affected the firm’s ability to establish the BCL-2 assay to be used for in-vitro testing.

Though an initial effect had been seen, more material would be needed to fully establish the assay and determine the doses required to move into the single-loaded in-vivo work and double-loaded experiments.

The company said it had also established the growth curve of the xenograft tumour model to be used, and once the BCL-2 in-vitro work was complete, N4 would be ready to start the in-vivo studies.

However, the success of those studies would depend on a steady supply of siRNA.

“We are very pleased with the EGFR results which show excellent knockdown of the siRNA, along with a very clear dose response curve, and believe this shows how well suited Nuvec is for working with siRNA,” said chief executive officer Nigel Theobald.

At 1110 BST, shares in N4 Pharma were down 0.63% at 1.94p.

Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.