European Patent Office Significantly Limits Scope of Kreutzer-Limmer RNAi Patent Claim
June 23 2006 - 9:26AM
PR Newswire (US)
Long-awaited ruling on Kreutzer-Limmer patent validates objections
filed by Sirna Therapeutics, sanofi-aventis, Atugen, and others SAN
FRANCISCO, June 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sirna Therapeutics,
Inc. (NASDAQ:RNAI), a leading RNAi-based therapeutics company,
announced today that its objections to the Kreutzer-Limmer patent
in Europe were accepted by the European Patent Office, resulting in
both a significant narrowing of the patent claims and substantial
limitations on the commercial utility of that patent. "We contended
from the very beginning that the Kreutzer-Limmer patent would not
stand up to scientific and legal scrutiny and that its true
commercial and scientific value in the field of RNA medicines has
been miscast and misunderstood," stated Howard W. Robin, President
and Chief Executive Officer of Sirna Therapeutics. "We will
continue to oppose unsubstantiated patent claims while growing our
own intellectual property estate to seek to ensure that we have the
freedom to advance both our own and our partners' RNAi-based
therapies through the clinic and into the market." European patent
No: EP1144623B1 (the Kreutzer-Limmer patent), which was opposed by
Sirna, AstraZeneca PLC, Atugen (SR Pharma PLC), Janssen
Pharmaceutica N.V., and sanofi-aventis, was significantly narrowed
and now only covers methods of making and using double stranded RNA
with lengths and structures of limited usefulness as RNAi-based
therapeutics. "The claims of the Kreutzer-Limmer patent as granted
are now limited to chemical structures, that in our experience, are
obsolete and essentially ineffective as viable RNAi-based
therapeutics," stated Bharat Chowrira, Ph.D., J.D. Chief Patent
Counsel of Sirna Therapeutics. "We believe, therefore, that this
patent has no impact on our current or future programs, and perhaps
more importantly, that it does not provide any meaningful
intellectual property protection in the field of RNAi-based
therapeutics." Sirna believes that its issued and pending patents
in siRNA design, chemistry, synthesis, delivery and manufacturing
together with its target patents and microRNA patents, give the
company a dominant intellectual property portfolio in the field of
RNAi-based therapeutics. About RNA interference RNA interference
(RNAi) is a natural, selective process for turning off genes. RNAi
is triggered by short interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules that engage
a group of cellular proteins, known as RISC (RNA induced silencing
complex). The RISC guides the siRNA to its target messenger RNA
(mRNA, the messenger between DNA and proteins) by complementary
base pairing for the targeted break-up of the mRNA, thus halting
protein expression or viral replication. The RISC-siRNA-complex
binds and cleaves multiple mRNA molecules in a catalytic fashion.
About Sirna Therapeutics Sirna Therapeutics is a clinical-stage
biotechnology company developing RNAi-based therapies for serious
diseases and conditions, including age-related macular degeneration
(AMD), hepatitis B and C, dermatology, asthma, Huntington's
disease, diabetes and oncology. Sirna Therapeutics completed its
Phase 1 clinical trial for Sirna-027 in AMD in 2005 and with its
strategic partner, Allergan, Inc., expects to move Sirna-027 into
Phase 2 clinical trials in 2006. Sirna has selected a clinical
compound for hepatitis C virus, Sirna-034, which the Company plans
to bring into Phase 1 clinical trials by the end of 2006. Sirna has
established an exclusive multi-year strategic alliance with
GlaxoSmithKline for the development of siRNA compounds for the
treatment of respiratory diseases. Sirna has a leading intellectual
property portfolio in RNAi covering over 250 mammalian gene and
viral targets and over 200 issued or pending patents covering other
major aspects of RNAi technology, including microRNA technology.
More information on Sirna Therapeutics is available on the
Company's web site at http://www.sirna.com/. Safe Harbor Statement
Statements in this press release which are not strictly historical
are "forward-looking" statements which should be considered as
subject to many risks and uncertainties. Patent applications may
not result in issued patents, and issued patents may not be
enforceable or could be invalidated. In addition, because our
research and development and the surrounding legal environment can
change, it is difficult to predict the effect that patents held by
others, including the Kreutzer-Limmer patent, could potentially
have on our programs. Other risks and uncertainties include, among
others, Sirna's early stage of development and short operating
history, Sirna's history and expectation of losses and need to
raise capital, Sirna's need to obtain clinical validation and
regulatory approval for Sirna-027, Sirna-034 and Sirna's other
product candidates, any of which could have negative results,
Sirna's need to engage collaborators, Sirna's need to obtain and
protect intellectual property, and the risk of third-party patent
infringement claims. These and additional risk factors are
identified in Sirna's Securities and Exchange Commission filings,
including its Forms 10-K and 10-Q and in other SEC filings. Sirna
undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward- looking
statements in order to reflect events or circumstances that may
arise after the date of this release. Contacts: Greg Weaver, SVP
& Chief Financial Officer, Sirna Therapeutics, Inc.,
415-512-7200 Alan Zachary, McKinney/Chicago, 312-944-6784 x 316
DATASOURCE: Sirna Therapeutics, Inc. CONTACT: Greg Weaver, SVP
& Chief Financial Officer of Sirna Therapeutics, Inc.,
+1-415-512-7200; or Alan Zachary of McKinney-Chicago,
+1-312-944-6784 x 316, for Sirna Therapeutics, Inc. Web site:
http://www.sirna.com/
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