mirna therapeutics

Marina Biotech Receives Notice of Acceptance for Patent Broadly Covering Its Unlocked Nucleobase Analog (UNA) Technology

by Christoph on January 23, 2012

Patent Protects Use of UNAs in Multiple Nucleic Acid Constructs Including siRNAs, microRNA Mimics, Antagomirs and Single-Stranded Constructs

Marina Biotech LogoBOTHELL, WA–(Marketwire – Jan 23, 2012) – Marina Biotech, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRNAD), a leading oligonucleotide-based drug discovery and development company today announced that the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand (IPONZ) has issued a Notice of Acceptance for patent application 580712. The claims broadly cover multiple sequence independent and length independent, nucleic acid constructs having one or more unlocked nucleobase analogs (UNAs). The nucleic acid constructs of the patent include both RISC and dicer length siRNAs, both microRNA mimetics and microRNA antagomirs as well as single-stranded oligonucleotides.

“The company continues to deliver on a patent strategy which expands and protects our broad oligonucleotide therapeutics platform,” stated J. Michael French, President and CEO at Marina Biotech. “This allowed patent is part of our global UNA patent portfolio providing broad and comprehensive protection for multiple, distinct UNA containing nucleic acid constructs all of which can modulate gene expression through distinct cellular mechanisms including RNAi, mRNA translational inhibition, steric blocking or microRNA pathways. This patent allowance reinforces our belief that we will continue to obtain patent protection for our UNA technology in other countries thereby strengthening the company’s intellectual property position for our broad oligonucleotide drug discovery platform.”

UNA are non-nucleotide, acyclic monomers which provide greater structural flexibility in a nucleic acid strand. Their value has been demonstrated in Marina Biotech’s proprietary UsiRNA constructs which are double-stranded small interfering RNA (siRNA) incorporating at least one UNA monomer and are distinct from the standard siRNA constructs used by others in the industry. UsiRNAs are specifically designed to provide greater specificity for RNAi-based therapeutics. Substitution with UNA [click to continue…]

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Silence Therapeutics Signs Collaboration with miRagen Therapeutics to Evaluate Delivery of Novel microRNA-based Therapeutics

by Christoph on January 9, 2012

LONDON, January 9, 2012/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ –

- Third collaboration to investigate the potential application of Silence’s proprietary RNAi delivery technologies in the development of novel microRNA-based therapeutics

Silence Therapeutics signs collaboration with miRagen TheapeuticsSilence Therapeutics plc (AIM: SLN) (“Silence”), a leading RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics company, announces that it has signed an agreement with miRagen Therapeutics, Inc. (“miRagen”), to assess the delivery potential of Silence’s proprietary DBTC delivery system with miRagen’s novel microRNA- (miRNA-) based therapeutics. MiRagen is a pre-clinical stage biopharmaceutical company founded to develop innovative miRNA-based therapeutics for the treatment of cardiovascular and muscle disease.

Under the terms of the agreement, miRagen will provide Silence with specific miRNA sequences, which Silence will formulate with its proprietary DBTC delivery system in order to develop multiple candidate drugs. MiRagen will undertake in vitro and in vivo studies of the candidate drugs developed under the agreement and select lead candidates for further evaluation. Financial terms of the collaboration are not disclosed.

DBTC is a proprietary RNAi delivery system developed by Silence. It is a novel lipid-based formulation that functionally delivers short interfering RNA (siRNA) to liver endothelial cells, hepatocytes and other liver cell types with high efficiency.

Thomas Christely, Chief Executive Officer of Silence Therapeutics, said: “We are delighted to be collaborating with miRagen. This is the third collaboration that [click to continue…]

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Silence Therapeutics Signs Collaboration With Mirna Therapeutics to Evaluate Delivery of Novel microRNA Therapeutics

by Christoph on October 24, 2011

Collaboration to investigate potential application of Silence’s novel AtuPLEX(TM)and DBTC delivery technologies in the development of novel microRNA therapeutics targeting cancer

LONDON, October 24, 2011/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ –

Silence Therapeutics plc (AIM: SLN) (“Silence”), a leading RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics company, today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Mirna Therapeutics Inc. (“Mirna”), a biopharmaceutical company pioneering microRNA-based therapeutics for cancer, to assess the delivery capabilities of Silence’s proprietary AtuPLEX(TM) and DBTC delivery systems for Mirna’s novel microRNAs.

Under the terms of the agreement, Mirna will provide Silence with specific miRNA sequences, which Silence will formulate with its AtuPLEX(TM) and DBTC delivery systems in order to develop multiple candidate drugs. Mirna will undertake in vitro and in vivo studies of the candidate drugs developed under the agreement and select lead candidates for further evaluation. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Thomas Christely, Chief Executive Officer of Silence Therapeutics, said: “We are delighted to be collaborating with Mirna. This is our second collaboration exploring the use of Silence’s delivery technologies to deliver microRNAs. However, it is [click to continue…]

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Industry Press

by Chris on January 18, 2011

1/18/2011 – 01:45 PM

miRagen Therapeutics Named University of Colorado Technology Transfer Office Bioscience Company of the Year

01/18/2011 – 08:00 AM

Mirna Therapeutics and Collaborators Publish New Data on miR-34 and its Role in Cancer Stem Cells

01/12/2011 – 02:00 PM

Asuragen Announces New Notices of Allowance from USPTO Related to the Diagnostic Applications of Cancer-Related miRNAs at the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference

01/06/2011 – 07:30 AM

Alnylam Launches “Alnylam 5×15” Product Strategy and Provides Guidance and Goals for 2011

01/05/2011 – 12:30 PM

Research and Markets: Biochips – Technologies, Markets and Companies – Updated Report with Projected Value to 2015 and 2020

01/05/2011 – 08:30 AM

Regulus Therapeutics Promotes Garry E. Menzel, Ph.D., to Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Finance

01/04/2011 – 03:27 PM

Research and Markets: RNAi – An Updated Report on Technologies, Markets and Companies

01/04/2011 – 07:30 AM

Alnylam Demonstrates RNAi in Man with Systemically Delivered RNAi Therapeutics

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Mirna Therapeutics Patents let-7

by Chris on October 20, 2010

Mirna Therapeutics Reports Notice of Allowance from USPTO Related to the Clinical Application of an Important Cancer-Related miRNA

AUSTIN, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Mirna Therapeutics, Inc. announced today that the USPTO has allowed claims related to the therapeutic application of let-7 in the regulation of oncogenes. The claims derive from a patent application that was submitted by Yale University and exclusively licensed to Mirna related to the pioneering work of Dr. Frank Slack, Professor of Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology at Yale University in New Haven, CT. Let-7 was the first miRNA that was demonstrated to function as a tumor suppressor via its ability to regulate oncogene expression.

“This allowance from the USPTO provides further evidence of the critical position that the Company holds in the burgeoning field of miRNA-based therapies.”

During an extended collaboration, scientists at Mirna and Yale have shown that let-7 regulates multiple cancer-related genes and pathways, influences the sensitivity of cancer cells to radiation and chemotherapy, and affects tumor development. Using transgenic and xenograft mouse models of cancer, the two labs have demonstrated that therapeutic candidates featuring the let-7 sequence significantly inhibit tumor development and growth. Additional studies have shown that the altered expression of let-7 is important in cancer stem cell development and that the miRNA can inhibit metastasis.  (Read the entire release… )

More about let-7 and Cancer

Trang P, Medina PP, Wiggins JF, Ruffino L, Kelnar K, Omotola M, Homer R, Brown D, Bader AG, Weidhaas JB, Slack FJ. (2010) Regression of murine lung tumors by the let-7 microRNA. Oncogene 29(11), 1580-7. [abstract]

Slack F. (2009) let-7 microRNA reduces tumor growth. Cell Cycle 8(12), 1823. [abstract]

Ding XC, Slack FJ, Grosshans H. (2008) The let-7 microRNA interfaces extensively with the translation machinery to regulate cell differentiation. Cell Cycle 7(19), 3083-90. [abstract]

Büssing I, Slack FJ, Grosshans H. (2008) let-7 microRNAs in development, stem cells and cancer. Trends Mol Med 14(9), 400-09. [abstract]

Esquela-Kerscher A, Trang P, Wiggins JF, Patrawala L, Cheng A, Ford L, Weidhaas JB, Brown D, Bader AG, Slack FJ. (2008) The let-7 microRNA reduces tumor growth in mouse models of lung cancer. Cell Cycle 7(6), 759-64. [abstract]

Johnson CD, Esquela-Kerscher A, Stefani G, Byrom M, Kelnar K, Ovcharenko D, Wilson M, Wang X, Shelton J, Shingara J, Chin L, Brown D, Slack FJ. (2007) The let-7 microRNA represses cell proliferation pathways in human cells. Cancer Res 67(16), 7713-22. [abstract]

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Recent Industry Press

October 14, 2010

10/14/2010 – Mirna Therapeutics Announces Dr. David Johnson as Scientific Advisor AUSTIN, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Mirna Therapeutics, Inc. (“Mirna”) announced today that David Johnson, M.D., F.A.C.P., of UT Southwestern in Dallas, has joined the Company as Scientific Advisor. Dr. David Johnson recently moved from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, to take the helm as the Donald W. [...]

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A Busy Month in the Business of microRNA

June 30, 2010

BUSINESSWIRE – June 29th – Alnylam Obtains Approvals to Initiate Phase I Study with ALN-TTR01 in Patients with TTR-Mediated Amyloidosis (ATTR) June 29th – Mirna Therapeutics Publishes Data Demonstrating In Vivo Proof of Concept for miR-34a microRNA Replacement Therapy in Cancer June 28th – Reimbursement for Rosetta Genomics’ miRview™ mets Test Now Available in Israel [...]

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