"Sylentis Pharmaceutical Company belonging to the PharmaMar Group has presented results from the clinical studies carried out with tivanisiran for the treatment of dry eye syndrome and that has enabled the startup of the Phase III Helix clinical trial. The presentation has taken place within the framework of the annual meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology ARVO that has been held from the th of April to the rd of May in Honolulu Hawaii. The purpose if this meeting is to share the latest breakthroughs in research in the area of ophthalmology to contribute to the progress in basic science and also in cuttingedge clinical research. In this context Sylentis has participated at this event presenting the preclinical and clinical results of various compounds that are being developed for the treatment of ocular disorders. Among these the abstract Tivanisiran a new treatment for Dry Eye Disease that improved signs and symptoms in clinical trials Posterboard number   B is highlighted the compound improving the ocular inflammatory parameters tear quality and a reduction in ocular pain associated with dry eye disease is also underlined. The novel mechanism of action of tivanisiran based on genetic silencing through RNA interference RNAi is targeted at the treatment of the signs and symptoms of this pathology making it a firm candidate for the treatment of dry eye disease. According to Ana Isabel Jimnez Director of RD at Sylentis we trust in our technology innovative in this field and we hope that tivanisiran will soon become a real alternative for the treatment of millions of people that suffer dry eye disease around the world. In this respect Jimnez points out that this is a significant step forward in the development of innovative drugs in different therapeutic areas through a novel technology of genetic silencing based on the RNA. Sylentis is a pioneer in RNAi research and is one of the few in Europe that applies this technology to the field of ophthalmology. It also continues with its research on new therapies for ophthalmological and inflammatory illnesses. It must be empathized that this pathology affects more than  million in Spain between  and  of the population mostly women and almost  of these being elderly  . In this context the phase III Helix study is being carried out in more than  hospitals in Spain Germany Estonia Portugal Slovakia and Italy in  patients to evaluate the efficacy of this compound in the treatment of the sign and symptoms of dry eye syndrome.  About RNA interference https About tivanisiran SYL  Tivanisiran is a drug based on RNAi that is administered as preservativefree eye drops it selectively inhibits production of the transient receptor potential cation channel TRPV. These receptors are ion channels that mediate the transmission of ocular pain. Tivanisiran is a small synthetic doublestranded RNA oligonucleotide siRNA with a novel and highly selective mechanism of action. Nonclinical studies conducted by Sylentis with SYL have demonstrated it has high ability to inhibit this specific target and block the perception of ocular pain in animals. Tivanisiran is a product under development for the treatment of signs and symptoms related to dry eye syndrome and has the potential to be developed for other pathologies that cause ocular pain corneal lesions refractive surgery etc.   . About RNA interference RNAi  RNA interference RNAi is a natural cellular process that regulates the expression of certain genes providing a role in innate defense and development in animals and plants. This process is used to specifically silence genetic transcripts that encode proteincausing diseases. The therapeutic application of targeted siRNAs is booming given the specificity of gene silencing for a particular protein in a given tissue and the lack of side effects. This new approach to drug discovery is a promising technology that is rapidly moving in the translational research space  . About dry eye syndrome  Dry eye syndrome is a multifactorial disease of the tear film and ocular surface that produces symptoms of ocular discomfort eyesight disorders and tear film instability with potential damage to the ocular surface. Dry eye syndrome is accompanied by such symptoms as ocular pain itching stinging and irritation of the eye tissues. It is a characteristic disease of developed countries associated with pollution air conditioning the use of contact lenses refractive surgery and continued use of computers. Moreover the amount and quality of tears decrease with age. Prevalence is between  and  among people aged  or over and it is more frequent in womeniii. Dry eye can be treated with cyclosporin drops or autologous serum but there is as yet no specific product for chronic treatment of the ocular pain related to dry eye syndrome oral analgesics or anaesthetics are used in general. However the main treatment consists of artificial tears in the form of drops gel or creams. Preservativefree eye drops have generally been found to offer the best longterm response. About Sylentis  Sylentis a company of PharmaMar MSEPHM is a biotechnology company fully owned that develops innovative therapies harnessing the technology of posttranscriptional gene silencing or RNA interference RNAi. Sylentis has developed an approach to efficiently design RNAibased therapeutics that can be used to silence numerous diseasecausing genes. We currently have a robust therapeutic program in ophthalmology with two candidates under development in Phase II and III studies for glaucoma bamosiran and ocular pain SYL  respectively. Sylentis is also developing new products for the treatment of several eye diseases such as ocular allergies and retina diseases. To know more about us please visit us at http"