Silence Therapeutics Issued New U.S. Patent Covering Fundamental RNA Interference Technology Currently in Several Clinical Trials
New Patent Broadens Company’s Existing Protection of Optimized RNAi Molecules Including Proprietary AtuRNAi Platform
Silence Therapeutics plc announced the issuance of United States patent 7,893,245, titled “Interfering RNA Molecules,” by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The issued patent, which represents a continuation of previously issued U.S. Patent Number 7,452,987, covers chemically modified RNAi molecules with defined positional modifications including siRNA molecules that are blunt ended, as well as molecules with one or more overhangs. Importantly, this latest patent broadens Silence’s protection of these RNAi molecules to those with a chemically modified core length between 17 and 29 nucleotides including the company’s portfolio of 25mer siRNA sequences. This patented siRNA technology forms the foundation for AtuRNAi, Silence’s propriety RNAi molecules. Various therapeutics incorporating Silence’s AtuRNAi technology are currently being studied in five ongoing clinical trials conducted by Silence Therapeutics and other industry leaders.
In related intellectual property news, Silence also announces the issuance of United States patent 7,893,243, titled “Composition and Methods of RNAi Therapeutics for Treatment of Cancer and Other Neovascularization Diseases,” by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). This issued patent is broadly directed to a double stranded, double blunt ended siRNA sequence against the validated cancer target vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). VEGF has been demonstrated to play an important role in the underlying causes of various cancers including abnormal angiogenesis and uncontrolled cell division. The active pharmaceutical ingredient covered by the issued patent is a potent 25mer siRNA, with or without chemical modification, further demonstrating Silence’s continued ability to secure meaningful intellectual property protection for its portfolio of 25mer sequences.
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