Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company developing therapeutics based on ribonucleic acid interference (RNAi). RNAi is a naturally occurring biological pathway within cells for selectively silencing and regulating the expression of specific genes. Its lead RNAi therapeutic program, ALN-RSV01, is in Phase II clinical trials for the treatment of human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), infection. In February 2008, it reported positive results from its Phase II experimental RSV infection clinical trial, referred to as the GEMINI study. In April 2008, it initiated a second Phase II human clinical trial, which is, as of December 31, 2008, ongoing, to assess the safety and tolerability of aerosolized ALN-RSV01 versus placebo in adult lung transplant patients naturally infected with RSV. As of December 31, 2008, it formed collaborations with Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd., for the development and commercialization of products for RSV.