Silence Therapeutics PLC (LON:SLN) remains confident its first human clinical trial will start by the end of the year.
Five senior managers have recently been recruited to spearhead the clinical drive.
This is in anticipation of filing Silence's first GalNAc-siRNA CTA (clinical trial authorisation) for the treatment of liver-related iron overload disorders by the end of 2018.
WATCH: Silence Therapeutics to be a clinical-stage company by year-end
Animal disease models have reinforced Silence’s optimism that lead candidate SLN124 can be effective in the treatment of the genetic condition.
Silence has a range of intellectual property and compounds related to RNA interference therapies, which are an experimental way of disrupting or ‘silencing’ the genes that cause particular diseases.
A second programme in alcohol use disorder is set for a CTA filing mid-2019, potentially through a partnership
Additionally, Silence will seek R&D collaborations and out-licensing agreements utilising Silence’s GalNAc-siRNA platform.
This may also include a NASDAQ listing in due course.
Silence, meanwhile, is also suing two US companies Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and The Medicines Company over alleged patent infringement.
A trial to hear this claim and respective counterclaims is scheduled to start in December.
Losses for 2017 fell sharply to £1.6mln (£8.4mln) as Silence gained £9.1mln from the sale of shares in Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals.
Cash burn over the year was £9.6mln (2016: £10.1mln), with cash at the year-end totalling £42.7mln.