Alnylam gets $23M to fight Ebola

Cambridge-based Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc. said this morning that it won a $23 million government contract to develop a treatment for the deadly Ebola virus and other viruses of its type.

The deal, with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has a four-year term and calls for Alnylam to develop so called small interfering RNAs, or molecules that could damage the genetic makeup of viruses like Ebola.

Ebola is a deadly virus that causes uncontrollable bleeding, and the government considers it a potential threat in the hands of terrorists.
(By Keith Reed, Globe staff)