Sirna Update

Controversial & Unproven Methods Restricted: Genetic Therapy, X-Ray, Photodynamic
#1

Hi everyone. I am a new poster and came across the topic of Sirna. I’ve done a little research on this topic and thought I would share a bit if anyone is interested.

Sirna is a publicly traded company on the stock exchange so if you were to go to say “yahoo” (I hope I can name another website) and go to their finance section and put in their ticker symbol (RNAI), you can read about the company and any news that is coming out about their work etc.

I’ve read a few posts regarding gene therapy and the dangers involved. siRNA (short interfering RNA) is not gene therapy per se. With gene therapy you are removing a defective gene and replacing with a non defective one or you are trying to fix the defective gene in some way shape or form. This is dangerous because of possible damage to other genes etc.

With siRNA technology (this is not something new. There are a number of biotech companies that are investigating different therapies from macular degeneration to huntingtons disease), you are not messing with the gene, you are only blocking the messenger RNA from making a certain protein.

I look at it this way. Take two people, and place them on opposite sides of a room. Person A has a flashlight which would represent the gene and the beam of light representing the messenger RNA. If person flashes a beam of light at person B it causes person B to react (which would represent the cell making a protein). If a piece of paper (representing siRNA) blocks the beam of light, the message does not get to where it needs to go. The flashlight (gene) has not been modified, its message just doesn’t get to where it needs to go…ie, the protein is not made by the cell.

This product will be administered by a doctor. I believe the reason for this is simply liability. Some people have no problems reading the directions on the side of a prescription bottle…others do. Could you imagine if this was sold over the counter or even given out by prescription? I have heard stories of people going to a party, passing out and having friends nair their eyebrows. Well, I think you can see where I am going with this.

The product (Trichozyme)is suspended in an alcohol base which is then placed on the skin. I am guessing the alcohol helps with absorbtion in to the hair follicle a lot easier than a thick cream. Sirna has so far done in vitro and in vivo studies to prove the product makes it in to the hair follicle cells. This is very important. A major headache for siRNA researchers for other ailments has been the delivery mode. Cells do not readily take up RNA. When they have RNA knocking on their door they automatically “think” virus. This must not be a problem for this product.

From what I have read, they expect to start human trials in 2006 and will have a product for general public use by 2011.

I hope some of this was helpful. Again, this is just research I have done, so things could change.

jme

#2

“From what I have read, they expect to start human trials in 2006 and will have a product for general public use by 2011.”

Feel free to wait till 2011, then…

#3

md,

5 to 6 years is not that long off. I was just updating the list on Sirna. This is hopefully going to be a viable option for those who have had little success with laser treatments or those that don’t have the many hours needed to invest in something like electrolysis.

jme

#4

In 5-6 years you could have any amount of hair removed permanently that you would like, without the help of any magical rub on cream.

Besides, even when/if something like this is developed, side effects of medications often don’t show up for years. The side effects of today’s permanent and long-term hair removal methods is well known because there are virtually zilch.

#5

New drugs cost a huge fortune to develop. The average research and development costs for a new drug is about 800 million dollars. That’s one of the reasons a new drug introduced to market costs so much more than the ones that have been around for years. Most drugs take ten years to get through the hoops of the FDA. An exception is cancer drugs. They don’t cost as much on the research + development side because you can’t really test them on non-cancerous patients - they go straightway to the ones that need to try something quickly. My point is, not only will this drug take time to get to the general public, but it will be very, very costly.

My other speculation is, if a doctor is needed to prescibe and administer it, will the turf wars start? If a doctor has a laser, for instance, will she/he advise the patient (who hasn’t tried laser) to just have laser because they have had better results with laser for 8 years and the side effects of this new medicine are unknown? Laser therapy would bring more money than a mere office visit to administer the stuff. The pursuit of money always makes humans behave pathetically. If other non-laser doctors go ahead and prescibe and administer this medicine, then you would see the food fight start. It would threaten the laser physicians and the laser industry as a whole. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised for the fierce lobbying to begin as to what medical specialty would have the privelege of dispensing this drug.

If I was as hairy as some explain they are, I’d try to find out if I could participate in the clinical trials, because this does sound like it is far from the reach of the general public.

Dee

#6

I’m not sure I agree with you on the fighting between those physicians that use lasers and those that might use this new product. It’s difficult to say how much Trichozyme will cost when it becomes available, but if it is more expensive than lasers, then there will always be a niche for lasers. We live in a free market society too. There have been numerous medications and treatments developed over the years that have fallen to the wayside because of better medications and treatments, that is just the way it goes.

Again, when I wrote the post, they stated a release of 2011. A lot of things can change between now and then, but the whole reason for my post was just to update previous posts on the subject.

Md,

You state that in 5 or 6 years you could have all the hair you wanted removed permanently. What about those that have tried laser over and over with little or no results? What about those that have no access to someone who performs electrolysis?

jme

#7

jme, I forgot to tell you how wonderful your first post was about Trichozyme. I really liked the flashlight analogy. Thank you for telling us about this with such clarity. It is truly an exciting new developement and please post as often as you know anything new about the research.

Thanks,

Dee

#8

Md,

You state that in 5 or 6 years you could have all the hair you wanted removed permanently. What about those that have tried laser over and over with little or no results? What about those that have no access to someone who performs electrolysis?

jme

Well I would suggest to those people that they either try another laser practitioner - perhaps someone more reputable - or to visit [wrope dot com] or www.electrology.com to search for an electrologist closest to them. Some of those who are in desperate need of an electrologist without one near them can travel if they wish, instead of holding their breath for the possibility that maybe in 5-6 years there might just be a miracle medication to work. I could just be myopic though.

My point is, if this condition really strikes someone as an urgent “problem,” there is no logic in waiting 5-6 years for something that could be a faint hope.

#9

Although this is not exactly related to the permanent hair removal product Sirna is developing, in a round about way it is.

Just recently, Sirna completed a private stock sale worth $28 million. This money will allow them to go ahead with their scheduled clinical trials that are about to start soon. Stage I trials for their hair removal product is scheduled for 2006. This is a very important step because clinical trials are very costly and it’s even more difficult if you are a small biotech company. This will give them enough money to continue with all their planned trials for over 2 years.

jme

#10

Just an update on Sirna. Not exactly hair related but definitely good news that will trickle down to hair removal.

A study published in Nature Biotechnology shows the first demonstration that Sirna’s technology works in patients.

In this study involving hepatitis B, there was a 95% reduction in the hepatitis B virus in patients.

jme

#11

Great work JME!

Cheers from downunder…

#12

Thought I’d email them and see what is happening. Here is their response.

“We are still in basic Research and Development phase of this program. Clinical Trials would be due to start in 2007. Progress we are making will be publicly announced as we are a public company, so feel free to stay tuned!”

#13

Thanks maile!

could be a while by the sounds, but still some positive prospects me thinks:)

b.

#14

FYI I am just Filling in Sirna Info

Sirna Dermatology is developing new treatment solutions based on RNAi
technology. Sirna Dermatology’s first product is a novel siRNA-based
product, Trichozyme, designed for permanent hair removal.

The company anticipates initiating human trials in 2006

Gene newly identified by Columbia researchers may improve hair
removal
www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2003-05/cuco-gni050603.php

Sirna Therapeutics Launches Dermatology Division Targeting Permanent
Hair Removal With siRNAs

www.datawarehousingsurvival.com/content/view/2574/2/

www.sirnaderm.com/index.html

short interfering RNA (siRNA)

Sirna Dermatology has targeted a critical gene essential for hair
growth and has demonstrated that reduction of this gene’s expression
by a topically administered chemically modified siRNA permanently
disrupts hair follicle integrity in an animal model.

The company anticipates initiating human trials in 2006

Sirna’s proprietary siRNA formulations are designed to be applied
topically to patienst in a series of physician administered
treatments. Sirna and Skinetics Biosciences have worked together to
conduct preclinical in vitro and in vivo studies showing that these
siRNA reach the cells at the base of the hair follicle, where they
inhibit the production of proteins necessary for hair growth. We
strongly believe siRNAs have the potential to profoundly impact
aesthetic procedures in the medical setting, such as permanent hair
removal, and we are excited to be a part of this ground-breaking RNAi
research in the dermatology area.

SirnaDerm’s approach is to target the problem at the molecular level
by inhibiting the proteins that lead to excessive hair growth. Click
here to view a video of the process (1.8 Mb).
www.sirnaderm.com/media/mpegs/sirna2_WMV.wmv

#15

I haven’t checked this post out in a while. I was registered with a different e-mail address and forgot the p.w. and all so I re-registered.

I’ve been keeping an eye on Sirna for some time now. Not much new to report though. Plans are still for first phase trials to begin in 2006. With all the success they have had with their macular degeneration and hepatitis C work, which involves complicated delivery systems, the outlook for their hair removal treatment looks very good.

jme

#16

Sirna is in the forefront of what may become the next quantum leap in drugs: RNAI technology. Hair removal is only one market; more “important” ones are Huntington’s Disease, Age-related Macular Degeneration, Hepatitis C, diabetes, hearing loss, and cancer.

It will take a while to clear the FDA hoops, but clinical studies to date show remarkable effectiveness and lack of side effects. Sorry if I sound like a commercial for them, but I’m excited. This has real potential to change people’s lives for the better! And yes, “magic creme” it will be.

#17

They have had good success so far with there trials so far in other drugs. I recieved and e-mail from them saying that they plan recieve and IND filing (investigative new drug)this year. I was afriad that because it is not the most important drug in their pipeline it may take longer. However they seem to be intent on creating a hair removal product, probably because they realize the potential for profit the drug could have. I hope they realize that there is probably not one American over the age of 18 that commits some method a hair removal (that they wish they wouldnt have to) on a regular basis. A product that actually works and doesnt have the side effects or cost of laser, would probably be the most profitable cosmetic product ever.

Furthermore, for the doubters who say this is a magic cream that wont work. Come on, this is a product that was developed by the top researcher in hair removal and hair genetics (Christiano), which was then bought by a reputable company that has raised alot of millions (I dont know what the exact number is) of dollars in a few short years. Also their other drugs, based on the same technique of delivery have shown extreme promise (95% effeciency on hepatitis C, way better than laser can promise and this is just stage 1 clinical trials)in clinical stages.

Therefore all the people who work for a laser company who cannot admit that these drug has a legitimate chance and is different from hair inihibitor creams such as KALO is being completely biased and not looking at the facts

#18

Mack,

Although they plan trials later this year, this drug will make it to the public before all the other drugs they are working on. The main reason for this is that, Trichozyme (if it still has this name), is applied to the skin and does not get taken up in to the body like the others. Drugs that are ingested or injected generally have to go through a more rigorous test phase before they are approved.

If this treatment does pan out the way they believe it will, then the hair removal market is going to be wide open to them. Some don’t seem to realize that advances are made in medicine every day…new procedures replace old. If a person had to choose between having this treatment, being zapped repeatedly by a laser, or poked by needles, I think most would choose this method.

jme

#19

Another reason for Sirna to make hair removal an early target is that it’s a relatively easy target. As a topical, it skirts the delivery problem that other RNAi therapeutics must address. Also I believe the targeted sequence is relatively straightforward, without the need to address mutant variants. And there may be less resistance to large scale adoption since nothing is injected or swallowed.

Sirna is in a race to prove the effectiveness and safety of RNAi technology, and to do it before competitors! So this will get early support. Then, they’ll bring on the more difficult ones.

Just a speculation, but if they can identify and silence a gene sequence which produces hair, perhaps they can also find and silence a sequence which produces baldness. The markets are huge!

#20

how do i become a test patient <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />?