06:38:48 EDT Thu 28 Mar 2024
Enter Symbol
or Name
USA
CA



Dicerna Announces the Issuance of Multiple Patents Covering Claims for Dicer Substrate siRNAs

2014-08-21 10:03 ET - News Release

US PTO 8,809,515 “515” Provides Opportunity to Design, Optimize and Target Dicerna’s DsiRNAs in Drug Development


Company Website: http://www.dicerna.com
WATERTOWN, Mass. -- (Business Wire)

Dicerna Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:DRNA), a leader in the development of RNAi-based therapeutics, today announced a series of recently issued patents providing broad composition and method of use claims covering double stranded RNA molecules, called dicer substrate siRNAs (DsiRNAs). These patents have issued over the last several months from the intellectual property licensed by Dicerna from the City of Hope (COH) estate in November 2007.

The newly issued claims provide broad protection for the therapeutic use of DsiRNA oligonucleotides, a technology at the core of Dicerna’s current product pipeline development programs. In their breadth, the issued claims clearly establish the dicer substrate technology as a distinct platform approach to harnessing the RNAi phenomenon in the development of human therapeutic products for multiple indications. The collection of recently issued claims cover composition and method of use type claims that allow an expansive approach to the use of DsiRNAs with minimal restriction on the molecular structure of DsiRNAs; thereby, maximizing the design flexibility in preparing therapeutic molecules.

“As we move into clinical development of our product candidates, the issuance of these new patents adds significantly to our intellectual property estate. These patents also strengthen the original City of Hope patent, for which we are a licensee,” commented Douglas M. Fambrough, Ph.D., Dicerna’s President and CEO. The most recently issued patent, US PTO 8,809,515,”515” issued on August 19, 2014, claims in broad terms a pharmaceutical composition comprised of a very generally described dicer-substrate. “The generality of the claim language captures the breadth of opportunity we have in designing, optimizing, and targeting our DsiRNAs,” continued Dr. Fambrough.

“This has been a productive period in the prosecution of these cases. These patents broadly support our activities and those of our partners,” said David W. Miller, Ph.D., Vice President, Business Development. Since February of this year, four patents have issued from the original City of Hope application, “Methods and Compositions for the Specific Inhibition of Gene Expression by Double-Stranded RNA.” The other patents issued from the US PTO are 8,658,356; 8,691,786; and 8,796,444.

About Dicerna Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Dicerna is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative treatments for rare, inherited diseases involving the liver and for cancers that are genetically defined. The Company is using its proprietary RNA interference (RNAi) technology platform to build a broad pipeline in these therapeutic areas. In both rare diseases and oncology, Dicerna is pursuing targets that have historically been difficult to inhibit using conventional approaches, but where connections between targets and diseases are well understood and documented. The Company intends to discover, develop and commercialize novel therapeutics either on its own or in collaboration with pharmaceutical partners. For more information, please visit www.dicerna.com.

Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements, including statements regarding Dicerna's clinical development. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, including financial, scientific, and regulatory risks regarding clinical development that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Applicable risks and uncertainties include those identified under the heading "Risk Factors" included in the Form 10-Q filed August 7, 2014, and in other filings that Dicerna may make with the SEC in the future. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release reflect Dicerna's current views with respect to future events, and Dicerna does not undertake and specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

Contacts:

Investor Contact:
LaVoie Health Science
Donna LaVoie, 617-374-8800
dlavoie@lavoiehealthscience.com
or
Maureen Brown, 617-374-8800
mbrown@lavoiehealthscience.com
or
Media Contact:
MacDougall Biomedical Communications
Chris Erdman, 781-235-3060
chris@macbiocom.com

Source: Dicerna Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

© 2024 Canjex Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.