London, 29th July 2003
New alliance in RNAi technology:
Cancer Research Technology and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc. announce exclusive license to patent application WO 01/36646 'Inhibiting gene expression with dsRNA' for therapeutic applications.
Cancer Research Technology Limited (CRT) and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc. announce today the execution of an exclusive license in the field of human therapeutics for CRT's key RNA interference (RNAi) patent application 'Inhibiting gene expression with dsRNA' (WO 01/36646). The terms of the license have not been disclosed.
CRT CEO Harpal Kumar stated that 'Alnylam is well positioned to develop RNAi therapeutics. This license should enable the application of this exciting platform technology to therapeutics, with the long term aim of benefiting patients. This license supplements CRT's nonexclusive licensing strategy in the field of target validation, and the existing license we have in place for the pSUPER RNAi vector with DNAengine'.
Patent application WO 01/36646 is based on the pioneering research of Dr. Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz and colleagues (Dr. Florence Wianny, Professors David Glover and Martin Evans) at the University of Cambridge (UK), who demonstrated RNAi-mediated inhibition of endogenous genes in mammalian cells.
CRT is the holder of two key patent applications in the field of RNAi. CRT's RNAi patent applications, together branded the SUPER RNAiTM System, are available for licensing on a nonexclusive basis in the fields of target validation and drug discovery.
The second patent filing from CRT covers pSUPER, a vector for long-term expression of RNAi effectors in mammalian cells, developed at the Netherlands Cancer Institute (Amsterdam) in the group of Professor Rene Bernards.
Several pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are working with CRT towards generating RNAi-based systems to meet the current demands of the industry for higher throughput analysis of mammalian gene function and rapid production of disease models to aid drug discovery. In addition, in association with CRT, Cancer Research UK is cofunding development of a library of pSUPER vectors expressing short interfering RNA targeted against cancer genes, which is under development at the Netherlands Cancer Institute.
Notes for Editors
The term RNA interference (RNAi) describes the cellular response to double-stranded RNA that results in sequence-driven gene specific silencing. The ability to interfere with expression of proteins in cells using double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) was first shown in plants and lower eukaryotes such as the fruit fly and nematode worms. In 1998 Andrew Fire and colleagues working at the Carnegie Institute in the US first used the term RNAi to describe the particular mechanism which operates in eukaryotes. Whilst the technique worked well in simple organisms groundbreaking research at the University of Cambridge performed in a collaboration between the groups of Dr. Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz and Prof. David Glover showed that the technique worked in selected mouse cells and in whole mouse embryos. This research was followed by studies at the Netherlands Cancer Institute designed to produce a vector expressing dsRNA for prolonged loss of function studies in cells. These studies culminated in the development of the pSUPER vector which is designed to express short hairpin RNA which is cleaved to form short interfering RNA (siRNA)
Alnylam
Alnylam is the leading company in the emerging field of RNA interference (RNAi) whose vision is to harness a Revolution In Biology For Human HealthTM. Growing from its foundation as the world's first company focused on RNAi-based therapeutics, the company is built around the leading capabilities of its two operating units, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Ribopharma of Kulmbach, Germany. Over the last several years, RNAi has been identified as a fundamental cellular mechanism for gene silencing. The company's leadership in the field of RNAi is supported by its preeminent founders and advisors and its strengths in fundamental patents, technology, and know-how that underlie the commercialization of RNAi-based therapeutics. The company's focus is to discover, develop, and commercialize therapeutic products based on RNAi for a broad range of therapeutic indications including viral, oncologic, metabolic, CNS and autoimmune diseases. The company's mission is to lead research in the field of RNAi, to build the leading pipeline of RNAi-based therapeutics, and to emerge as business leaders. Its global headquarters are in Cambridge, MA.
Further information about Alnylam can be obtained by
contacting:
(in Europe)
Mike Sinclair
Halsin Partners Ltd.
Tel: +44 (0)870 747 0880
(in the U.S.)
Kathryn Morris
KMorris PR
Tel: 845-635-9828
The University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is one of the world's leading research universities. It also has a substantial track record of achievement for collaboration with industry and, increasingly, for commercially exploiting its own inventions. This collaboration at the leading edge of biomedical research provides an excellent example of both.
Further information about the University of Cambridge can be obtained from:
Press and Communications Office,
University of Cambridge,
The Old Schools,
Trinity Lane,
Cambridge,
CB2 1TN
Tel: 01223 332300
E-mail: ucam-press-office@lists.cam.ac.uk
Cancer Research Technology
Cancer Research Technology (CRT) is a specialist oncology-focused technology transfer and development company owned by Cancer Research UK. CRT was formed in October 2002 from the merger of Cancer Research Ventures and Imperial Cancer Research Technology. CRT's aim is to ensure that leading edge discoveries in cancer research are developed for the benefit of cancer patients. CRT has responsibility for commercialising all discoveries arising from research funded by Cancer Research UK as well as many other funding bodies and institutes worldwide, including the Netherlands Cancer Institute.
Further information about CRT and RNAi licensing opportunities can be obtained from:
Dr Jenni Solbé
Business Manager
Cancer Research Technology
Sardinia House
Sardinia Street
London WC2A 3NL
+44 20 7269 3640
E-mail: jsolbe@cancertechnology.com
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