European Patent Office accepts Sirna's objections, limits Kreutzer-Limmer RNA patent claims

By Lisa Kerner

Charlotte, N.C., June 23 - Sirna Therapeutics, Inc. said the European Patent Office has accepted its objections to the Kreutzer-Limmer RNA patent claims, resulting in a significant narrowing of the patent claims.

The patent, opposed by Sirna, AstraZeneca plc, Atugen (SR Pharma plc), Janssen Pharmaceutica NV and Sanofi-Aventis, now only covers methods of making and using double-stranded RNA with lengths and structures of limited usefulness as RNAi-based therapeutics.

"We will continue to oppose unsubstantiated patent claims while growing our own intellectual property estate to seek to ensure that we have the freedom to advance both our own and our partners' RNAi-based therapies through the clinic and into the market," president and chief executive officer Howard W. Robin said in a company news release.

Sirna, a San Francisco-based clinical-stage biotechnology company, develops RNAi-based therapies for age-related macular degeneration, hepatitis B and C, dermatology, asthma, Huntington's disease, diabetes and oncology.

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