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news.Opko Health has been issued a key patent by the US Patent and Trademark Office for methods related to the use and administration of small interfering RNAs for targeting vascular endothelial growth factor, including Opko's siRNA drug candidate, bevasiranib, which is currently in a Phase III trial for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration.
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The claims of the newly issued patent cover a broad range of methods for the use of a specific sequence of small interfering RNAs (siRNA), including bevasiranib, to target vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). The patent also covers application of this specific sequence of siRNA to inhibit the expression of VEGF and to treat VEGF-related angiogenic disorders including age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and cancer.
In addition, the claims cover any methods of administering the siRNA, including intravenous administration, retinal injections and oral administration. This newly issued patent broadly protecting the applications of Opko’s siRNA bevasiranib is the second for the compound. The newly issued patent is exclusively licensed to Opko on a worldwide basis through an agreement with the University of Pennsylvania.
Samuel Reich, executive vice president of Opko, said: “This second issued patent covering bevasiranib and its anti-VEGF applications further reinforces our confidence in our strong and growing intellectual property position in this important space.”