Executive Vice President, Chief Scientific Officer and Head of Early Research & Early Development, Alnylam
Search every verified Kevin Fitzgerald interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. In a June 2024 podcast appearance, Kevin Fitzgerald discussed the evolution of RNA interference (RNAi) medicines at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, where he has served as chief scientific officer since joining the company in 2005. He described the company's progress from early challenges in delivering RNA molecules into cells to having four FDA-approved medicines for rare diseases and a fifth drug, Leqvio, marketed by Novartis for lowering LDL cholesterol. Fitzgerald emphasized the potential of RNAi therapies for chronic conditions, noting that patients often stop taking daily pills for "silent diseases" and that Alnylam aims to develop treatments administered via injection once every six months to improve adherence. Fitzgerald also contrasted RNAi approaches with gene editing, stating that he prefers "controllable, reversible pharmacology" because RNA-based drugs can be designed to wear off or be counteracted with an antidote, whereas permanent gene editing is irreversible. He attributed his nearly two-decade tenure at Alnylam to the technology's continuous improvement and its expanding potential to treat both rare and common diseases.
“When you have silent diseases, even if there are therapies like statins, people don't take them — and drugs don't work when people don't take them. What we're imagining is a prophylactic or a treatment that's once every six months: you go in, you get an injection, and then you forget about it.”
“I do like drugs that have controllable pharmacology. With RNA approaches we can make drugs wear off or even provide an antidote if needed, whereas one‑and‑done editing is permanent — for many applications I prefer an option with controllable, reversible pharmacology.”
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals chief scientific officer Kevin Fitzgerald on the past, present & future of RNA interference medicines.
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