Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, an American biotech in Italy since 2016, today inaugurates the new Italian headquarters in Milan in the presence of the regional councilor for economic development, Guido Guidesi, in the Gioia 26 complex, also giving life to a long-term partnership with an important reality of the Third Sector as Soleterre Onlus through the Skills Academy project. (Photogallery)
“Today we inaugurate the new office in Italy, to best carry out our mission at the service of patients affected by rare diseases and their caregivers – says Domenico Guajana, Country Manager Italy – by promoting access to the innovative therapies developed by Alnylam research. In the last In 3 years, in fact, 3 drugs have been approved as a result of company research aimed at patients with a high therapeutic need and who have obtained the prestigious status of innovative drugs from the regulatory bodies, recognition of the importance of the added therapeutic value and the therapeutic need satisfied by the drug Our modern work model also allows us to support the scientific community and patients not only with therapies but also with a series of related services to support diagnosis or assistance”.
Alnylam’s research yielded the world’s first approved RNAi therapies. While traditional drugs aim to halt the effects of disease-causing proteins, RNAi-based therapeutic agents target the underlying causes of disease by ‘turning off’ the synthesis of potentially harmful proteins at the source. If we liken disease to a leaky faucet, RNAi is a new way to fix and plug that leak, rather than just mopping the floor. It is an approach capable of transforming the care of patients suffering from hereditary genetic diseases and beyond.
The ability to synthesize target-specific siRNAs and the development of increasingly effective chemical conjugates for siRNA delivery – again the note – have generated a robust development platform and an extensive pipeline with over 12 programs from phase 1 to phase 4 focused on four therapeutic areas: genetic diseases, cardio-metabolic diseases, infectious diseases, central nervous system diseases and ocular diseases. In Europe, regulatory authorities have recognized seven orphan drug designations (particularly for the treatment of rare diseases), two PRIME designations and three accelerated evaluations, assigned to medicines deemed of great interest for public health and therapeutic innovation. Today, in Italy, Alnylam markets three RNAi therapeutic agents evaluated as innovative by Aifa, valuable drugs that have been recognized as a solution to an important therapeutic need and supported by high quality scientific evidence.
With the new headquarters in Milan, Alnylam also gives life to a partnership with an important Lombard reality of the Third Sector. We are talking about Soleterre Onlus and the Skills Academy project – concludes the note – aimed at introducing people who are experiencing moments of great difficulty into the world of work. In fact, over 145,000 people arrived in Italy because they were forced to flee their country due to armed conflicts and/or human rights violations who aim to be integrated into the labor market in the long term. This emergency has led to the creation of the Skills Academy project, born precisely from the collaboration between Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Italia and Soleterre Onlus. With the Work Is progress programme, Skills Academy wants to focus on the valorisation and development of technical and transversal skills, of people entitled to protection, to promote rapid and lasting entry into the world of work, in occupations of value for the person and the society.
It is “a three-year project – explains Damiano Rizzi, president of Soleterre onlus – dedicated to the enhancement and development of the skills of protection holders and applicants in Italy. Foreign citizens involved in the Skills Academy will be able to access personalized training and coaching courses for entering the world of work. Particular attention will be paid to their life path according to the multidisciplinary model of care promoted by Soleterre. The project is an example of virtuous collaboration with a global company such as Alnylam, which has always been attentive to the values of social sustainability of its action. Its employees will work alongside the operators of the Work Is Progress program and will make their skills available to the beneficiaries of the project who are taking their first steps on the Italian job market. We are proud to have the our side Alnylam”.