Silence Therapeutics Advances Strong Candidate for Cholesterol Control
Silence Therapeutics (Nasdaq: SLN) has reported additional results from its APOLLO Phase 1 study of zerlasiran (SLN360) in subjects with baseline lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) levels at or over 150 nmol/L. The results were published in the peer-reviewed Journal of the American Medical Association.
Zerlasiran is designed to lower the body’s production of Lp(a), a key genetic risk factor for cardiovascular disease, including heart attack, stroke and aortic stenosis, that affects up to 20% of the world’s population. High Lp(a) levels cannot be controlled by healthy eating or exercise.
Curtis Rambaran, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Silence and senior author of the publication, commented on the results, “Positive phase 1 data published in JAMA demonstrate treatment with zerlasiran produced sustained reductions in Lp(a) concentrations with a well-tolerated profile using varying dosing regimens. The promising findings from this study are particularly encouraging as we complete the phase 2 study for zerlasiran and underscore our commitment to address this major unmet need in cardiovascular disease.”
Silence’s trial enrolled 32 healthy participants and 36 patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and high Lp(a) concentrations. The company’s JAMA article reviews findings from an extended 365 day follow up of healthy participants who received the two highest zerlasiran doses and 201 days of follow up for ASCVD patients administered two doses.
Zerlasiran was safe and well tolerated and met its secondary endpoint of reducing Lp(a) serum concentrations.
About Silence Therapeutics
Silence Therapeutics is developing a new generation of medicines by harnessing the body’s natural mechanism of RNA interference, or RNAi, to inhibit the expression of specific target genes thought to play a role in the pathology of diseases with significant unmet need. Silence’s proprietary mRNAi GOLD™ platform can be used to create siRNAs (short interfering RNAs) that precisely target and silence disease-associated genes in the liver, which represents a substantial opportunity. Silence’s wholly owned product candidates include zerlasiran designed to address the high and prevalent unmet medical need in reducing cardiovascular risk in people born with high levels of lipoprotein(a) and divesiran designed to address hematological diseases, including polycythemia vera. Silence also maintains ongoing research and development collaborations with AstraZeneca and Hansoh Pharma, among others. For more information, please visit https://www.silence-therapeutics.com/.
