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Liver cirrhosis
Expert interview

What potential does RNAi hold for the future of AATD treatment?

Read time: 25 mins
Last updated: 16th Aug 2023
Published:16th Aug 2023

In this exclusive interview, Professor Pavel Strnad and Dr Thomas Schluep discuss the potential of RNA interference (RNAi) to treat previously untreatable liver diseases, with a focus on alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD), and how small interfering RNA (siRNA) addresses the root cause of AATD.

Join these specialists as they discuss this new treatment option and what siRNA treatments may mean for physicians and people with liver disease in the near future.

Meet the experts

Professor Pavel StrnadProfessor Pavel Strnad

Professor Pavel Strnad is a professor and leading physician at University Hospital Aachen, Germany. Since 2008, Professor Strnad has headed up a research lab focused on translational gastroenterology. For his work, Professor Strnad was named one of the rising stars of United European Gastroenterology in 2016.

Professor Strnad is currently leading a European initiative for the study of AATD-associated liver disease and has been instrumental in developing new therapies for AATD.

Disclosures:

Professor Strnad reports receiving grants or contracts from Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, CSL Behring, Grifols Inc; consulting fees from Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Dicerna Pharmaceuticals, Ono Pharmaceutical, and Takeda Pharmaceuticals; honoraria from Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, CSL Behring, Grifols Inc; participating in leadership or fiduciary roles in other boards for Alpha1-Deutschland, Alpha1 Global; and material transfer for Vertex Pharmaceuticals and Dicerna Pharmaceuticals.

Dr Thomas SchluepDr Thomas Schluep

Dr Thomas Schluep Sc.D is the Vice President of Program Management at Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals Inc. He is responsible for advancing pharmaceutical product candidates both pre-clinically and clinically across the whole organisation.

Dr Schluep holds a Sc.D. in Process Engineering and an MS in Biotechnology, both from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland. He has authored 33 scientific publications.

Disclosures:

Employee and shareholder of Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals.

AATD podcast series

Return to the podcast series:

  • What is AATD and how does it impact the liver and the lung?
  • AATD genotypes involved in liver disease
  • Screening, diagnosis, and guideline recommendations for AATD management
  • Treatment options for AATD-associated liver disease and current unmet needs

Listen

Welcome:

This content has been developed independently of the sponsor, Takeda, which has had no editorial input into the content. Medthority received educational funding from the sponsor in order to help provide its healthcare professional members with access to the highest quality medical and scientific information, education and associated relevant content.