Advertise With UsAdvertise on our extensive network of industry websites and newsletters.
Get the PBR newsletterSign up to our free email to get all the latest PBR
news.Regulus miR-122 program is focused on developing a therapeutic oligonucleotide that antagonizes miR-122
Subscribe to our email newsletter
Regulus Therapeutics (Regulus) has reported that the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has allowed a patent application within the ‘Esau’ patent family (US Application Serial No 10/909,125).
The currently allowed claims describe methods of inhibiting miR-122, a liver-specific microRNA that has been shown to facilitate replication of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection (Jopling et al. (2005) Science 309, 1577-81).
Specifically, the claims encompass methods of inhibiting miR-122 in a cell using a broad class of anti-miRs with sugar modifications at each nucleoside, such as 2’-MOE or bicyclic nucleic acid modifications, and with or without the addition of conjugate groups.
The company said that it holds exclusive rights to additional patents covering miR-122 antagonists and their use as HCV therapeutics, including the Tuschl III patent claiming the sequences of miR-122 and its complement (US Patent No 7,232,806), and the Sarnow patent pertaining to the use of anti-miR-122 to inhibit HCV replication (US Patent No 7,307,067).
The company added that the process resulting in final issuance of a patent involves several administrative steps that are typically completed within a year.
Kleanthis Xanthopoulos, president and CEO of Regulus, said: “Regulus is advancing a new class of innovative medicines based on microRNAs. Indeed, microRNA therapeutics represent a new frontier of pharmaceutical research where an entire pathway of human disease can be targeted. This Notice of Allowance is the first in the Esau series, and we expect many more patents covering microRNA therapeutics to issue from this important and early patent family.”
Peter Linsley, chief scientific officer of Regulus, said: “The Regulus miR-122 program is focused on developing a therapeutic oligonucleotide that antagonizes miR-122, a microRNA that has been shown to be essential for HCV replication. We are very pleased by the decision of the USPTO to allow the current claims of the Esau 125 application, as it will strengthen our continued advancement of this important program.”