Innovir Laboratories

Innovir Laboratories was a biotechnology company specializing in the development of RNA-based therapeutics using ribozyme technology. The company's core platform focused on External Guide Sequences (EGS) designed to recruit the cellular enzyme Ribonuclease P to cleave specific target mRNA sequences, thereby inhibiting disease-related gene expression. Founded on the Nobel Prize-winning research of Dr. Sidney Altman, Innovir targeted viral infections such as Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C, as well as various cancers. The company was a pioneer in the field of gene silencing during the 1990s. Innovir was eventually acquired by Vical in 2000 to integrate its catalytic RNA expertise with Vical's DNA delivery systems.