SR Pharma Granted Core RNAi Patent by the European Patent Office
SR Pharma plc announced that the European Patent Office has granted the Company its core RNAi patent EP 03784183.0. This patent covers its novel, stabilised, small interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules with blunt ends and positional modifications. These proprietary siRNA molecules are referred to as 'AtuRNAi' by SR Pharma.
According to SR Pharma, this is the first patent to be granted for this new class of stable siRNA molecules and provides SR Pharma with freedom to operate within the RNAi therapeutics field. The 38 claims in the patent cover AtuRNAi structures that have a well defined positional arrangement of modified nucleotides. These novel siRNA molecules developed by SR Pharma have important advantages over conventional siRNA molecules including increased stability against nuclease degradation and an increased serum half life, states the company.
These AtuRNAi compounds form the basis of SR Pharma's own therapeutic development pipeline which is focused on cancer indications. The Company's first clinical trials in the cancer field are expected to start in 2007. These molecules also form the basis of the group' s licence and collaboration agreement with Quark Biotech Inc. and the recently announced sublicense to Pfizer Inc., whose Phase I clinical trial in Age-related Macular Degeneration using these molecules is expected to start in the near future.
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