Tekmira Pharmaceuticals, a company specializing in RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics, has declared that its intellectual property portfolio has been expanded by the issuance of two key patents by the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO).
In these two patents, U.S. Patent No. 8,058,069 covers Tekmira Pharmaceuticals’ lipid nanoparticle delivery technology, while the U.S. Patent No. 8,101,741 covers the chemical change of siRNA to alleviate immune stimulation.
By issuing the U.S. Patent No. 8,058,069, the USPTO has granted claims related to specific ratios of lipids utilized in Tekmira Pharmaceuticals’ lipid nanoparticle formulations, which have demonstrated to deliver enhanced tolerability and improved drug activity of the in vivo formulations, thus increasing the therapeutic index substantially when compared to other compositions.
By issuing the U.S. Patent No. 8,101,741, the USPTO has granted claims related to the chemical change of siRNA sequences to stop immune stimulation. This patent is based on the research conducted by Tekmira Pharmaceuticals researchers about the activation of the innate immune system using nucleic acids such as siRNA.
According to Mark J. Murray, President and Chief Executive Officer at Tekmira Pharmaceuticals, the company believes that all lipid nanoparticle-based RNAi therapeutic drugs currently under clinical development will come under the U.S. Patent No. 8,058,069. The company continues to develop and protect all features of its proprietary lipid nanoparticle technology.
Murray further said that the U.S. Patent No. 8,101,741 is the latest addition to the company’s expanding portfolio of intellectual property related to techniques of alleviating siRNA immune activation through chemical change.
Source: http://www.tekmirapharm.com