HAMILTON, BM / ACCESS Newswire / April 13, 2026 / Altamira Therapeutics Ltd. ("Altamira" or the "Company") (OTCID:CYTOF), a company dedicated to developing and commercializing RNA delivery technology for targets beyond the liver, today announced the publication of a peer-reviewed article in the scientific journal npjBiomedical Innovations , published by Springer Nature, which highlights the potential of RNA based therapies in conjunction with advanced delivery platforms in the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA).[1] The authors of the review include Samuel A. Wickline, MD, Chief Scientific Adviser of Altamira.
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-?B, 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/
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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.
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