Alnylam Pharmaceuticals develops drugs based on RNA interference, a gene-silencing technology that can turn off the production of specific disease-causing proteins inside cells, a fundamentally different approach from traditional small-molecule drugs. The company was an early pioneer in bringing RNA interference therapies from laboratory research into approved commercial medicines, treating rare genetic diseases where a single problematic protein drives the condition. Alnylam's drugs are typically administered via injection on a periodic basis rather than daily pills, since RNA interference therapies can have long-lasting effects that reduce how often patients need treatment. As a biotechnology company focused on a specific gene-silencing platform, Alnylam's growth depends on both commercial sales of its approved drugs and on advancing new treatments through its pipeline into additional disease areas beyond its initial rare disease focus.