The issued claims not only focus on siRNA but also include specific claims directed to micro RNA (miRNA), pre-miRNA, and short hairpin RNA (shRNA). This patent issues from a portfolio of several applications disclosing efficacy-enhancing methods and structural elements of RNAi therapeutics that Intradigm has exclusively licensed from the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
The issued patent is based on the seminal research of Philip Zamore, the Gretchen Stone Cook chair of Biomedical Sciences and professor of biochemistry & molecular pharmacology at University of Massachusetts Medical School.
Mike Riley, Intradigm’s vice president of intellectual property and corporate development, said: Ongoing scientific research has highlighted the importance of siRNA structure as a critical component of an effective RNAi therapeutic and the issuance of this patent provides Intradigm with a significant competitive advantage in this area.
For Intradigm, this patent becomes even more valuable when combined with the company’s proprietary RNAi sequences and delivery technologies. Ultimately, access to this intellectual property will allow Intradigm to create a high value pipeline of well-protected products developed by incorporating novel, enhanced RNAi sequences into the company’s innovative RNAi delivery systems.