Arizona Tribune - Altamira Therapeutics Announces Publication Highlighting Potential of RNA Nanoparticles for Disease-Modifying Treatment of Osteoarthritis

OA is a degenerative joint condition, occurring when the protective cartilage cushioning the ends of bones wears down over time with ageing or as the result of traumatic injury, causing bones to rub together. It causes pain, swelling and stiffness, affecting a person's ability to move freely. In 2020, OA affected globally an estimated 595 million people, representing 7.6% of the world's population.[2] Its prevalence is expected to keep increasing - e.g. for knee OA, the most frequent OA type, the number of cases is forecast to be about 75% higher in 2050 than in 2020. OA treatment focuses on reducing pain and improving function through a combination of lifestyle changes (exercise, weight loss), treatment with pain or anti-inflammatory medication, and, if needed, surgical intervention like joint replacement. Importantly, there are no disease-modifying drugs currently available for OA.

The authors of the publication highlight the remarkable precision by which RNA therapeutics can be used to target specific genes or pathways implicated in OA, thus minimizing potential adverse effects on healthy tissues and cells. "Moreover, they possess the capability to modulate gene expression, facilitating the production of beneficial proteins while inhibiting the production of detrimental ones, thereby contributing to the restoration of joint health", they observe. At the same time the authors stress the importance of appropriate technology for delivery of RNA cargos to joints affected by OA. For example, the use of lipid nanoparticles tends to be challenging due to hepatic elimination after systemic administration, while OA joints may not be amenable to alternative local administration.

"The treatment of arthritis, whether for osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis, is one of the most promising indications for application of our xPhore platform for nucleic acid delivery", commented Covadonga Pañeda, PhD, Chief Operating Officer of Altamira. "By design, xPhore nanoparticles deliver RNA specifically to inflamed tissues, which in the case of arthritis is primarily the inflamed joints. The technology has already been successfully tested with siRNA or mRNA targeting NF-κB, JMJD3, WNT16, or DNMT3B in various animal models of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. We see the clear potential for xPhore to support the development of specific and truly disease-modifying therapies with favorable safety profile."

About Altamira Therapeutics

Altamira Therapeutics is developing and supplying peptide-based nanoparticle technologies for efficient nucleic acid delivery (xPhore™ platform). The versatile delivery platform is suited for different nucleic acid modalities, including siRNA, mRNA, circRNA, as well as DNA, and made available to pharma or biotech companies through out-licensing. The Company has two proprietary flagship programs based on xPhore and siRNA payloads: AM-401 for KRAS driven cancer and AM-411 for rheumatoid arthritis, both in preclinical development beyond in vivo proof of concept. In addition, Altamira holds a 49% stake in Altamira Medica AG, which commercializes Bentrio, an OTC nasal spray for allergic rhinitis, and owns several assets for CNS indications which it intends to partner / divest. Founded in 2003, Altamira is headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda, with its main operations in Basel, Switzerland. For more information, visit: https://altamiratherapeutics.com/

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are statements other than historical facts and may include statements that address future operating, financial or business performance or Altamira's strategies or expectations. In some cases, you can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as "may", "might", "will", "should", "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "estimates", "predicts", "projects", "potential", "outlook" or "continue", or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and beliefs and involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, developments and business decisions to differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the success of strategic transactions, including licensing or partnering, Altamira's need for and ability to raise substantial additional funding to continue the development of its product candidates, the timing or likelihood of regulatory filings and approvals, Altamira's intellectual property position and Altamira's financial position, including the impact of any future acquisitions, dispositions, spin-offs, partnerships, license transactions or changes to Altamira's capital structure. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those indicated. All forward-looking statements and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to Altamira or to persons acting on behalf of Altamira are expressly qualified in their entirety by reference to these risks and uncertainties. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and Altamira does not undertake any obligation to update them in light of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable law.

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[1] Rai et al. (2026), Nucleic acid-based therapeutics to restore joint homeostasis in age-related and post-traumatic arthritis, npj Biomedical Innov. 3(1):17. https://www.nature.com/articles/s44385-026-00068-8

[2] Steinmetz et al. (2023), Global, regional, and national burden of osteoarthritis, 1990-2020 and projections to 2050: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021, Lancet Rheumatol 5(9):e508-e522. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37675071/

SOURCE: Altamira Therapeutics Ltd.

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

R.Garcia--AT