Hepatitis C is a viral infection of the liver and is a major cause of acute hepatitis and chronic liver disease, including cirrhosis and liver cancer. In 2000, the World Health Organisation estimated there were 170 million people chronically infected with Hepatitis C Virus with 3 to 4 million people newly infected each year. Population-based studies indicate that 40% of chronic liver disease is HCV-related, resulting in an estimated 8,000 “ 10,000 deaths each year in the US alone. According to recent estimates, there is a US$2.9 billion anti-viral market for this incurable disease, which is expected to increase sharply.

The Benitec HCV program will build on work already underway at Avocel using DNA-directed RNAi as a gene therapy to suppress genes related to disease progression. This approach exploits the ability of ddRNAi to target multiple gene products simultaneously, thereby giving the clinician the ability to tackle HCV from many angles with the same drug. Existing therapies must sacrifice either broad applicability or specificity, as HCV, like HIV, is highly mutable. In data presented at the recent Keystone symposium on RNAi, Avocel scientists demonstrated the power of a multi-target approach to HCV therapeutics with a delivery method that has already shown a strong safety profile in clinical trials.

Benitec Ltd focuses on developing therapeutics to treat serious diseases and advancing medical research using RNA interference (RNAi) and Benitec ™s proprietary DNA directed RNAi (ddRNAi). Core patents are owned in partnership with CSIRO of Australia and Benitec holds exclusive rights for their prosecution and commercialization in the human field. The Company ™s therapeutic programs cover diseases that can potentially be treated by silencing the expression of one or more genes. These diseases include HIV, hepatitis, autoimmune diseases and cancers.

In parallel, Benitec offers research licenses and product application development to its RNAi technology through its strategic licensee and partner, Promega (Madison, WI), and commercial licenses for therapeutic targets, revenue from which will support Benitec ™s inhouse and collaborative therapeutic development programs. benitec.au/