Product Pipeline

* Ebola and Marburg Virus programs funded by the Department of Defense’s Transformational Medical Technologies Initiative.

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

AVI’s RNA–based drug programs are being evaluated for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a condition caused by a defect in the dystrophin gene. DMD results in progressive muscle degeneration, leading to paralysis and death. DMD affects approximately 35–40,000 patients worldwide, with an estimated 600 new cases annually in the U.S. Currently, there are no effective treatments for DMD, and the annual cost of care for DMD patients can exceed $4–500,000 per year.

Viral Diseases

AVI’s RNA–based therapeutics have demonstrated positive therapeutic effects in Ebola Zaire and in Marburg Musoke viruses, with high survival rates. There is currently no effective therapeutic for Ebola or Marburg viruses, which are lethal in approximately 85 percent of cases. AVI’s technology may also prove applicable to other viral targets such as HCV and Dengue viruses.

Cardiovascular Disease

AVI has partnered with Global Therapeutics, a Cook Medical Company, to evaluate AVI’s cardiovascular restenosis drug for use on a chromium cobalt drug–eluting stent for the treatment of cardiovascular restenosis. The application of AVI–5162 to the Global Therapeutics SilencerTM System is designed to offer rapid drug release and reversion to a bare metal stent within hours of implantation. The current worldwide market for drug eluting stents is estimated at $5 billion.