DGAP-News: Secarna Pharmaceuticals GmbH & Co. KG / Key word(s): Scientific publication
Data published in Molecular Diagnostics & Therapy demonstrate how Secarna's powerful bioinformatics generate improved
LNA-modified antisense oligonucleotide therapies
2021-01-20 / 15:00
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
=----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Data published in Molecular Diagnostics & Therapy demonstrate how Secarna's powerful bioinformatics generate improved
LNA-modified antisense oligonucleotide therapies
. Antisense oligonucleotide (ASO)-based therapeutics have evolved as a fully accepted therapeutic modality, next to
small molecules and therapeutic antibodies
. During the drug candidate selection process, RNA-sequencing combined with bioinformatic screens could provide a
valuable tool to assess ASO-mediated off-target effects
. Data from RNA-sequencing experiments will guide the selection process of ASO sequences to generate drug candidates
with an improved target to off-target profile and therefore enable the generation of potent and safe drugs
Munich/Martinsried, Germany, January 20, 2020 - Secarna Pharmaceuticals GmbH & Co. KG ("Secarna"), a biopharmaceutical
company focusing on the discovery and development of next generation antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapies to
address challenging or previously undruggable targets via its LNAplus^TM platform, today announced the publication of
data on the role of bioinformatic screening in the process of generating and selecting ASOs. The data were published in
Molecular Diagnostics & Therapy and the findings support the development of more efficient and safer ASO-based
therapeutics. The article, "Using RNA-seq to assess off-target effects of antisense oligonucleotides in human cell
lines" is available here: https://rdcu.be/cb7d4
In this study, Secarna selected two 17-mer ASOs to be analyzed for off-target effects in distinct human cell lines by a
whole-transcriptome study using RNA sequencing. Experimentally determined analysis of gene expression combined with in
silico prediction tools, allows Secarna to calibrate bioinformatics criteria for ASO sequence selection and to generate
LNA-gapmer ASOs with improved target to off-target profiles, thereby reducing the risk for off-target-mediated
toxicities to support the development of safer ASO-based therapeutics.
"The field of antisense oligonucleotides therapeutics is rapidly growing, and oligonucleotide-based gene expression
modifiers have developed as fully accepted therapeutics next to small molecules and therapeutic antibodies," said Jonas
Renz, Managing Director and Co-founder of Secarna Pharmaceuticals. "Our recently published data offer compelling
insights into the benefits of bioinformatic screening in the process of selecting ASOs. Thorough in silico screens
using our proprietary Oligofyer^TM platform, which is constantly improved using RNA sequencing data reduces the risk
for ASO-mediated off-target RNA suppression, providing for safer ASO-based therapeutics and preventing candidates with
a poor specificity profile from entering advanced testing."
About Secarna's proprietary drug discovery platform, LNAplus^TM
For discovering, testing and selecting antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) for pre-clinical and clinical development,
Secarna employs its proprietary, customized LNAplus^TM drug discovery platform. LNAplus^TM encompasses all aspects of
drug discovery and pre-clinical development and has proven to be fast, reliable, scalable, efficient and to provide for
a uniquely integrated workflow, enabling the discovery of novel antisense-based therapies for challenging or currently
undruggable targets. The platform includes the powerful proprietary Oligofyer^TM bioinformatics pipeline,^a
streamlined, high efficiency screening process including our proprietary LNA-Vit(r)ox^TM safety test system as well as
target-specific functional assays. Secarna's platform and ASOs have been validated by numerous in-house projects as
well as in several academic and industry collaborations.
About Secarna Pharmaceuticals GmbH & Co. KG
Secarna Pharmaceuticals is the next generation antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) company addressing high unmet medical
needs in the areas of immuno-oncology, immunology, as well as viral, neurodegenerative and cardiometabolic diseases.
Secarna's mission is to maximize the performance and output of its proprietary LNAplus^TM antisense oligonucleotide
discovery platform, as well as to develop highly specific, safe, and efficacious best-in-class antisense therapies for
challenging or currently undruggable targets. With over 15 development programs focusing on targets in indications
where antisense-based approaches have clear benefits over other therapeutic modalities, Secarna is the leading European
antisense drug discovery and development company. www.secarna.com
Contact
Jonas Renz
Managing Director and Co-founder
Jonas.Renz@secarna.com
Secarna Pharmaceuticals GmbH & Co. KG
Am Klopferspitz 19
82152 Planegg/Martinsried
Tel.: +49 (0)89 215 46 375
For media enquiries:
Anne Hennecke/Vera Lang
MC Services AG
secarna@mc-services.eu
Tel.: +49 (0)211.52 92 52 22
=----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2021-01-20 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.
Archive at www.dgap.de
=--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(MORE TO FOLLOW) Dow Jones Newswires
January 20, 2021 09:00 ET (14:00 GMT)