Silence Therapeutics plc : Appointment of Michael Khan as Chief Medical Adviser
09/18/2012| 04:12am US/Eastern
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London, 18 September, 2012 - Silence Therapeutics
plc (AIM: SLN), a leading global RNA
interference (RNAi) therapeutics company,
today announces the appointment of Michael Khan to its board
of directors as Chief Medical Adviser.
Dr Michael Khan BSc, MBBS, PhD, FRCP is an Associate
Professor of Medicine at the University of Warwick and a
Consultant Physician at University Hospitals. He trained in
medicine at Guy's and King's in London and completed
specialist training at University College London, Middlesex
and Whittington Hospitals. He studied for his PhD at UCL.
He is a highly cited researcher and experienced clinician
with a long track record in metabolic medicine and cancer
biology research as well as in the running of clinical
trials. He has written several books on diabetes, cholesterol
problems and cancer biology and teaches postgraduates and
undergraduates in medicine and biological sciences in these
areas.
He is a previous Head of Molecular Medicine at Warwick
University and has held numerous research grants in cell and
molecular biology. He and co-workers have made important
contributions to further understanding of cancer cell biology
and diabetes and are working on identifying novel
tissue-based biomarkers for colorectal cancer and the
development of novel diagnostic tools. He is a fellow of the
Royal College of Physicians of London and a member of the
Association of Physicians, HEART-UK and Diabetes UK and has
acted as an expert advisor to numerous National and
International Organisations in both the public and private
sectors.
No further disclosures are required under Rule 17 and
Schedule 2(g) of the AIM Rules.
Commenting on his appointment, Dr Khan said:
"I am convinced of the potential of siRNA-based therapeutics
and will serve to bridge the gap between basic and
translational clinical research with the express aim of
delivering essential and urgently needed new therapies for
orphan diseases and those not well-served by currently
available treatments. I believe that Silence Therapeutics
core technologies are uniquely positioned to fulfil these
needs."
Commenting on the appointment, Klaus Giese, CSO of Silence
said:
"This is a highly important appointment and I am delighted
that Michael has agreed to join the Board of Silence
Therapeutics. Michael's medical, clinical and regulatory
experience will be invaluable as we look to commercialise our
prospects."
Notes for editors
About Silence Therapeutics plc (www.silence-therapeutics.com)
Silence Therapeutics plc (AIM: SLN) is a leading
biotechnology company dedicated to the discovery, development
and delivery of targeted, systemic RNA interference (RNAi)
therapeutics for the treatment of serious diseases. Silence
offers one of the most comprehensive short interfering RNA
(siRNA) therapeutic platforms available today based on a
strong intellectual property portfolio and large clinical
safety database. Silence's clinical siRNA product pipeline is
one of the broadest in the industry. The Company possesses
multiple proprietary siRNA delivery technology platforms
including AtuPLEX™, DACC and DBTC. AtuPLEX enables the broad
functional delivery of siRNA molecules to targeted diseased
tissues and cells, while increasing their bioavailability and
intracellular uptake. The DACC delivery system allows
functional delivery of siRNA molecules selectively to the
lung endothelium with a long duration of target mRNA and
protein knock-down. The DBTC delivery system enables
functional delivery of siRNA molecules selectively to liver
cells including hepatocytes. Additionally, the Company has a
platform of novel siRNA molecules based around its AtuRNAi
chemical modification technology, which provides a number of
advantages over conventional siRNA molecules. Silence's
unique RNAi assets also include structural features for RNAi
molecules and specific design rules for increased potency and
reduced off-target effects of siRNA sequences.
The Company's lead internal drug candidate is Atu027, a
liposomal formulation in clinical development for systemic
cancer indications and one of the most clinically advanced
RNAi therapeutic candidates in the area of oncology. Atu027
incorporates two of the Company's technologies, AtuRNAi and
AtuPLEX™. Silence is currently conducting an
open-label, single-centre,
dose-escalation Phase I study with Atu027 in patients with
advanced solid tumors involving single, as well as repeated,
intravenous administration. Encouraging interim safety and
pharmacokinetic data were presented at the American Society
of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting in June 2011. The study
is expected to be completed in the first half of 2012.
The Company's RNAi therapeutic platform has received key
validation through multiple partnerships with pharmaceutical
companies including AstraZeneca, Dainippon Sumitomo,
Pfizer/Quark, and Novartis/Quark. Silence is actively
pursuing the establishment of additional partnerships.
Silence Therapeutics has operations in both Berlin and
London.
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