Start: February 19, 2026 3:30 p.m.
End: February 19, 2026 4:30 p.m.
Progress and Opportunities in RNA Therapeutics Changing the Landscape of Drug Discovery
Daniel Miller
Senior Principal Scientist, Eli Lilly and Company
Lilly Corporate Center, Indianapolis
Thursday, 2/19 @ 3:30PM
FB 253
This presentation centers on the design and synthesis of siRNA therapeutics and their growing impact on genetic medicine. It highlights how thoughtful sequence selection, strategic chemical modifications, and metabolic-stability engineering enable siRNA molecules to achieve potent, sustained gene silencing. Key aspects of synthesis, including patterning of 2ʹ modifications, phosphorothioate incorporation, duplex architecture, and ligand conjugation, are discussed in the context of generating drug-like oligonucleotides with predictable behavior in vivo. The talk also outlines how delivery strategies, particularly conjugate and CNS focused approaches, integrate with synthetic design to advance siRNA candidates toward clinical readiness. Together, these elements illustrate how modern oligosynthesis underpins the expanding therapeutic potential of siRNA.