Archemix Signs MicroRNA Deal

Cambridge, MA-based Archemix, the developer of a new class of drug called aptamers, said today it has formed an R&D collaboration with Boulder, CO-based miRagen Therapeutics, a developer of microRNA treatments. The two companies will plan to attach aptamer drugs to microRNA molecules with a goal of delivering the compounds inside cells. Both companies will contribute resources to the collaboration, and miRagen is getting options to do exclusive development of drugs that emerge from the partnership, although detailed financial terms weren’t disclosed.

Author: Luke Timmerman

Luke is an award-winning journalist specializing in life sciences. He has served as national biotechnology editor for Xconomy and national biotechnology reporter for Bloomberg News. Luke got started covering life sciences at The Seattle Times, where he was the lead reporter on an investigation of doctors who leaked confidential information about clinical trials to investors. The story won the Scripps Howard National Journalism Award and several other national prizes. Luke holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and during the 2005-2006 academic year, he was a Knight Science Journalism Fellow at MIT.