Nucleonics re-arms its idea

In 2003, Nucleonics Inc. first came on the radar by announcing it hired a CEO and licensed gene silencing IP from Wyeth. At the time, the company hoped it would be entering the clinic within about 18 months with its first expressed interfering RNA candidate to treat HBV. But difficulties getting hepatocytes to take up the DNA plasmid that encodes short hairpin RNAs sent the company back to the drawing board for about two years.

Now, having changed the delivery method and optimized particle size to favor hepatic uptake, Nucleonics has begun its long-awaited Phase I trial of NUC B1000 to treat chronic HBV infection...