Patent Covers Small Interfering RNA (siRNA) Structural Features Tied to Increased Efficacy and Potency of RNAi Therapeutics PALO ALTO, Calif., June 17
PALO ALTO, Calif., June 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Intradigm Corporation, a
leading developer of targeted, systemic RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics,
today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has
allowed U.S. patent application 10/859,337 which generally claims methods of
enhancing the RNA silencing activity of an RNAi agent in a mammalian or plant
cell. The allowed subject matter is not only focused on claims to siRNAs but
also includes specific coverage for micro RNAs (miRNAs), miRNA precursors,
primary miRNA transcripts and short hairpin RNA (shRNA). The allowed
application, based on the seminal research by Philip Zamore, Ph.D., is one of
several applications disclosing certain efficacy-enhancing structural elements
of RNAis that Intradigm exclusively licensed from the University of
Massachusetts Medical School.
"The USPTO's allowance of these patent claims represents an important
milestone for Intradigm as it will allow us to incorporate novel enhanced RNAi
sequences into our proprietary RNAi delivery systems to create potent and
efficacious therapeutics," said Mohammad Azab, M.D., president and chief
executive officer of Intradigm. "It is also important to note that the
complete IP portfolio that we exclusively licensed from the University of
Massachusetts Medical School includes several additional applications that
relate to the 'Zamore Design Rules.'"
"We are very pleased that the USPTO has recognized the novel and valuable
research conducted by University of Massachusetts Medical School researchers
into the rapidly evolving field of RNA interference," said James P. McNamara,
Ph.D., Executive Director of the Office of Technology Management at the
University of Massachusetts Medical School. "Based on the work conducted in
our laboratories, we believe that the claims covered by this allowed patent
application have the potential to play an important role in helping to realize
the tremendous therapeutic promise of RNA interference."
Strengthened by recent strategic IP licensing deals with both the
University of Massachusetts Medical School and the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT), Intradigm possesses one of the industry's strongest RNAi IP
positions. Intradigm's IP estate of issued patents broadly covers structural
features for a next generation of RNAi molecules, biodegradable polycationic
polymers for the delivery of RNAi therapeutics, and proprietary siRNA sequence
applications.
ABOUT THE RNAi NANOPLEX DELIVERY TECHNOLOGY
To address the issue of effective and targeted delivery of RNAi
therapeutics, Intradigm has developed and in-licensed an extensive
intellectual property portfolio around its proprietary RNAi Nanoplex (NPX)
delivery technology. The RNAi NPX delivery technology is a modular, multi-
component delivery vector that carries active siRNA molecules in its core with
the flexibility to attach a Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) layer and/or a targeting
ligand to the polymer-siRNA NPX to improve circulation half life and achieve
selective distribution to the target tissue. At the core of the RNAi NPX
delivery technology is Intradigm's proprietary peptide-based biodegradable
polymer known as PolyTran(TM). PolyTran enables safe systemic delivery of the
siRNAs. Additionally, this platform is unique in its ability to offer tissue
specific targeting of siRNA through the attachment of specific ligands
directed to target cell receptors.
An additional key strength of the RNAi NPX delivery technology is its
ability to incorporate multiple siRNAs in a single drug product. These multi-
targeted therapeutics can simultaneously silence several mRNAs that represent
parallel or synergistic elements of the same disease pathway resulting in a
more comprehensive and/or novel therapeutic potential.
ABOUT INTRADIGM
Intradigm is a private biotechnology company committed to the development
of systematic RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics for the treatment of
serious diseases with an initial focus on oncology. The company's expertise in
drug development and delivery serves as the foundation of Intradigm's RNAi
platform. In particular, the company's novel and proprietary RNAi Nanoplex
delivery technology is unique in its ability to enable the targeted delivery
of RNAi therapeutics to specific tissues through systemic administration of
the drug product. The company is also establishing collaborative
relationships with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies through which
Intradigm's targeted RNAi delivery technology can be applied to a broad range
of therapeutic targets. For more information on Intradigm, please visit
http://www.intradigm.com.
ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS MEDICAL SCHOOL
The University of Massachusetts Medical School, one of the fastest growing
academic health centers in the country, has built a reputation as a world-
class research institution, consistently producing noteworthy advances in
clinical and basic research. The Medical School attracts more than $179
million in research funding annually, 80 percent of which comes from federal
funding sources. The work of UMMS researcher Craig Mello, PhD, an investigator
of the prestigious Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), and his colleague
Andrew Fire, PhD, then of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, toward the
discovery of RNA interference was awarded the 2006 Nobel Prize in Physiology
or Medicine and has spawned a new and promising field of research, the global
impact of which may prove astounding. UMMS is the academic partner of UMass
Memorial Health Care, the largest health care provider in Central
Massachusetts. For more information, visit http://www.umassmed.edu.
SOURCE Intradigm Corporation
