Regeneron will look to develop RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics for eye and CNS diseases by teaming with and investing in Alnylam Pharmaceuticals. RNA interference (RNAi) therapies are a new class of drugs that work by inhibiting gene expression or translation by neutralizing targeted mRNA molecules. The first – and only – commercial RNAi therapy is Alnylam’s Onpattro (patisiran), approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last August for the treatment of the polyneuropathy of hereditary transthyretin-mediated (hATTR) amyloidosis…

Lonza says GMP know-how and drug delivery tech are core to its live biotherapeutics joint-venture formed with Chr. Hansen. The Swiss contractor and Danish bioscience firm set up the contract manufacturing organization (CMO) in April, citing biopharma interest as the driver. Live biotherapeutic products (LBPs), as the name suggests, are living organisms. Unlike probiotics used to try to improve general health, LBPs are drugs intended to treat or cure disease. “LBPs are regulated as drugs and have to go through…