Combination Device Could Treat Genetic Diseases
Medtronic Inc., with the help of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc., announced its plans to develop an implantable pump to treat Huntington's disease. The combination device is expected to deliver Alnylam's RNA interference (RNAi) therapy via Medtronic's pump. RNAi is a process that naturally happens in cells and is suspected to turn off genes that cause certain diseases. Medtronic plans on marketing the device in Europe and then in the United States.
July 31, 2007
The two companies have been collaborating since 2005 on research leading up to the development of the technology.Huntington's is a devastating degenerative disease that causes the deterioration of certain nerve cells in the brain. If the technology is successful in treating this disease, it's possible that Medtronic and Alnylam will develop similar combination devices to treat neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's.
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