Silence Therapeutics

What Silence Therapeutics does

Silence Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics using its proprietary mRNAi GOLD platform, which conjugates short interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules with GalNAc ligands to precisely silence disease-associated genes in liver cells without permanently altering DNA. The company is headquartered in London with a U.S. headquarters in Hoboken, New Jersey and an R&D/laboratory facility in Berlin, Germany, and has been listed on Nasdaq (ticker SLN) since its delisting from AIM in November 2021. The pipeline is anchored by divesiran (SLN124) for polycythemia vera, which has completed Phase 1 with durable efficacy data and is fully enrolled in a 48-patient Phase 2 SANRECO trial with topline expected August 2026, and by zerlasiran (SLN360) for cardiovascular risk reduction in patients with elevated lipoprotein(a). Earlier-stage and partnered programs include SLN312 (ANGPTL3, dyslipidemia, recently returned by AstraZeneca), SLN501 and SLN548 (complement-mediated diseases), SLN365 (GPR146 for cholesterol), and SLN098 (INHBE for obesity). Divesiran has received FDA Fast Track and Orphan Drug designations.

The business model is collaboration-driven rather than commercial at present. Silence has no approved products, no expanded access program, and generates revenue solely through pharmaceutical partnerships such as its broad AstraZeneca collaboration covering cardiovascular, cardiometabolic, renal, and respiratory diseases. Collaboration revenue was $0.6M in FY2025, collapsing from $43.3M in FY2024 after the conclusion of the Hansoh partnership and reduced AstraZeneca activity. Capital is raised through equity financings, including a $120M oversubscribed private placement of American Depositary Shares in February 2024. The company is pre-revenue on a product basis, and any future commercialization is expected to occur via partnerships with larger pharmaceutical companies rather than through a direct sales force. End customers are patients with polycythemia vera, elevated Lp(a) cardiovascular risk, and rare hematologic conditions, with the enterprise counterparties being global pharmaceutical partners.

The leadership team is anchored by Interim Principal Executive Officer Iain Ross (Chairman, 40+ years in life sciences), CFO Rhonda Hellums (appointed Executive Director in December 2025), Chief R&D Officer Steven Romano, MD (former Mallinckrodt CSO and Pfizer SVP), Chief Scientific Officer Marie Wikström Lindholm, PhD (former Roche/Santaris oligonucleotide expert with 60+ patents and publications), Chief Medical Officer Curtis Rambaran, MD, and Chief Technical Operations Officer J.P. Gabriel (former Ultragenyx, Sanofi-Pasteur, Genentech/Roche). The company was identified by Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News as a Top 10 Takeover Target of 2025, and Cantor Fitzgerald initiated coverage with an Overweight rating citing over 160% potential upside.

Name

Silence Therapeutics

Legal name

Silence Therapeutics Plc

Website

https://silence-therapeutics.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Silence Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing siRNA therapeutics using its proprietary mRNAi GOLD platform, with lead candidates divesiran for polycythemia vera and zerlasiran for high lipoprotein(a), serving patients with hematologic and cardiovascular diseases.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

RNAi Therapeutics

NAICS

Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414)

SIC

Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834)

akta.pro primary industry

siRNA Therapeutics (gene silencing) (HLAAADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

RNA Delivery Technologies (LNPs, polymers, conjugates incl. GalNAc, peptides, exosomes) (HLAAADAD), RNA Chemistry & Oligonucleotide Engineering (backbones, modifications, stereochemistry) (HLAAADAE), RNA Therapeutics Clinical Development (trial design, endpoints, patient stratification) (HLAAADAH), RNA Manufacturing & CMC (oligo synthesis, IVT, purification, formulation, QC) (HLAAADAF)

Keywords

• SiRNA therapeutics
• RNAi drug development
• Gene silencing medicines
• Clinical stage biotechnology
• Biopharmaceutical pipeline

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Collaboration Revenue: Revenue generated from partnerships with pharmaceutical companies including AstraZeneca. Collaboration revenue was $0.6 million in FY 2025 (down from $43.3 million in FY 2024 due to concluded Hansoh partnership and reduced AstraZeneca activity) and $0.4 million in Q1 2026.
2. Securities Issuance: The company raises capital through equity financing including private placements and public offerings of American Depositary Shares. In February 2024, the company raised $120 million through an oversubscribed private placement of ADSs.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Silence Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing short interfering RNA (siRNA) therapeutics using its proprietary mRNAi GOLD platform. The company designs GalNAc-conjugated siRNA molecules that selectively silence disease-associated genes in liver cells to treat hematologic, cardiovascular, and rare diseases. Its clinical pipeline includes divesiran for polycythemia vera, zerlasiran for high lipoprotein(a), and SLN312 for dyslipidemia, with additional programs in complement-mediated disease, cholesterol management, and obesity.

Product overview

Silence Therapeutics is a global clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a portfolio of siRNA (short interfering RNA) therapeutics leveraging its proprietary mRNAi GOLD™ platform. The company's pipeline includes multiple drug candidates across hematology, cardiovascular, and rare diseases: Divesiran (SLN124) for polycythemia vera in Phase 2; Zerlasiran (SLN360) for high lipoprotein(a) in Phase 2; SLN312 for dyslipidemia in Phase 1; and discovery-stage programs including SLN548 (complement), SLN365 (GPR146 for cholesterol), and SLN098 (INHBE for obesity). The platform enables precise liver-targeted gene silencing using GalNAc-conjugated siRNAs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• mRNAi GOLD Platform Proprietary siRNA delivery and gene-silencing technology platform that enables precise targeting and silencing of disease-associated genes in liver cells using GalNAc conjugation, used as the foundation for the company's pipeline and partner collaborations.
• Divesiran (SLN124) First-in-class siRNA therapy targeting TMPRSS6 to treat polycythemia vera, reducing excessive red blood cell production and phlebotomy requirements in PV patients. Has FDA Fast Track and Orphan Drug designations and is being evaluated in Phase 2 SANRECO trial.
• Zerlasiran (SLN360) siRNA therapy targeting the LPA gene to lower lipoprotein(a) levels, designed for cardiovascular risk reduction in patients with genetically determined high Lp(a). In Phase 2 clinical development.
• SLN312 (AZD1705) siRNA therapy targeting ANGPTL3 for dyslipidemia treatment; Silence has regained exclusive global rights following AstraZeneca's decision to discontinue further development beyond Phase 1.
• SLN548 siRNA therapy targeting CFB (complement factor B) for complement-mediated diseases.
• SLN365 First-in-class siRNA silencing GPR146, representing a novel mechanism-of-action for cholesterol management independent of LDL-C receptor function.
• SLN098 siRNA silencing INHBE, a novel target for obesity supported by human genetics and pre-clinical data.
• SLN501 siRNA therapy for complement-mediated diseases, currently in Phase 1 first-in-human clinical study.

Quantifiable outcome

• In Phase 1 SANRECO study, 21 PV patients required only 5 phlebotomies during active treatment compared to 80 in the prior six months; median time to first phlebotomy of 287 days.
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Craig Tooman (Former CEO)coreOthers · 15 December 2025CEO Craig Tooman departed effective December 14, 2025. Iain Ross, Chairman, appointed as Interim Principal Executive Officer while search for new CEO continues.
• Hansoh PharmaceuticalminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership that concluded in 2024, contributing to collaboration revenue decline from $43.3 million in 2024 to $0.6 million in 2025.
• AstraZenecacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBroad collaboration leveraging Silence's mRNAi GOLD platform for cardiovascular, cardiometabolic, renal and respiratory diseases. AstraZeneca developed SLN312 (AZD1705) targeting ANGPTL3 for dyslipidemia through Phase 1. On March 4, 2026, AstraZeneca notified Silence they will not pursue further development of SLN312 beyond Phase 1, returning exclusive rights globally to Silence.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Alnylam Pharmaceuticals: Pioneer and leader in RNAi therapeutics with multiple approved siRNA products (Onpattro, Givlauri, Oxlumo, Amvuttra). Most direct comparable to Silence given shared siRNA mechanism, GalNAc delivery approach, and liver-targeted therapeutic focus.
• Ionis Pharmaceuticals: Leader in antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapeutics with deep cardiovascular and rare disease pipeline including Lp(a) and dyslipidemia programs. Closely comparable RNA-based therapeutic modality and indication overlap with Silence.
• Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals: Clinical-stage RNAi therapeutics company with a broad pipeline including cardiometabolic and rare disease programs using TRiM™ platform for targeted siRNA delivery. Direct competitor to Silence's mRNAi GOLD platform across overlapping indications.
• Dicerna Pharmaceuticals: siRNA therapeutics developer (acquired by Novo Nordisk in 2021) with GalNAc-conjugated RNAi platform targeting liver-expressed genes. Highly comparable to Silence's mRNAi GOLD platform before its acquisition.

Broad incumbents

• Novartis: Global pharmaceutical company marketing Leqvio (inclisiran), the leading commercialized siRNA for cardiovascular disease via partnership with Alnylam. Broad incumbent competing with Silence's zerlasiran in the cardiovascular siRNA space.
• Amgen: Large-cap biotech advancing olpasiran, an siRNA targeting Lp(a), placing it in direct competition with Silence's zerlasiran for high Lp(a) cardiovascular risk patients.
• AstraZeneca: Former Silence partner on SLN312/ANGPTL3 program with broad cardiovascular and cardiometabolic franchise. Important partner and large-pharma reference point for Silence's strategic positioning.
• Bristol Myers Squibb: Large-cap pharma with significant cardiovascular and hematology franchise and broad interest in RNA-based therapeutics. Comparable on commercial-scale cardiometabolic and rare disease positioning relative to Silence's pipeline.

Emerging players

• Wave Life Sciences: Clinical-stage RNA therapeutics company using PRISM platform for siRNA and other oligonucleotide modalities with programs in cardiometabolic and rare diseases. Emerging competitor with overlapping RNA-based therapeutic approach.
• BioMarin Pharmaceutical: Specialty biotech with rare disease and hematology focus; named alongside Silence in GEN's 2025 Takeover Targets list. Comparable on rare-disease commercialization focus applicable to Silence's PV and complement programs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/silencetheraplc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/965010

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds6 records

Investors13 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Silence Therapeutics