New collaboration to focus on the ABCs of ETBs

Molecular Templates, Inc. and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. have entered into a research collaboration focused on evaluating and developing Molecular Templates’ proprietary technology for the targeted delivery of RNAi therapies.

Kelsey Kaustinen
GEORGETOWN, Texas—Molecular Templates, Inc. and AlnylamPharmaceuticals, Inc. have entered into a research collaboration focused onevaluating and developing Molecular Templates' proprietary technology for thetargeted delivery of RNAi therapies. Molecular Templates' main focus is thediscovery and development of a class of small biologic therapies known asEngineered Toxin Bodies (ETB). Financial details regarding the collaborationwere not released.
 
 
ETBs are part of a class of therapies that have evolved froma toxin scaffold and have been engineered to display a unique targeting domainas well as reduced immunogenicity. They retain the pharmacokinetics,mechanism-of-action, abilitiy to induce internalization and intracellularself-routing capabilities to the parent scaffold, and their properties allowthem to target cell surface or intracellular targets.
 
Molecular Templates isengaged in the development of ETBs across a range of disease areas such as cancer,autoimmune and infectious diseases. Eric Poma, Ph.D., President and ChiefExecutive Officer of Molecular Templates, says ETBs "represent a new classof targeted biologics that possess active intracellular properties thatuniquely positions us to address delivery of RNAi drugs in a target directedmanner."
 
"We look forward to working closely with Alnylam, the leaderin the RNAi space, to capitalize on some of the unique capabilities of our ETBplatform," says Poma. 
 
 
 
SOURCE: Molecular Templates, Inc. press release

Kelsey Kaustinen

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