Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Grants GeneCare Research Institute Licenses to Fundamental Intellectual Property for RNAi Therapeutics Directed Against Two Gene Targets
Thursday January 6, 8:03 am ET
First License Granted Under Alnylam InterfeRx(TM) Program
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Jan. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALNY - News), a leading therapeutic RNA interference (RNAi) company, today announced that it has granted GeneCare Research Institute Co., Ltd., a Japanese biotechnology firm, an exclusive license through the InterfeRx(TM) licensing program to discover, develop, and commercialize RNAi therapeutics directed against two DNA helicase genes associated with cancer. Detailed financial terms were not disclosed, but include upfront, annual and milestone payments, all in cash, and royalties on sales of any products that result from the licensing agreement. In addition, Alnylam retains the right to negotiate co-development and co-promotion arrangements for such products in the United States.
Having recognized the potential of RNAi to become the basis for a broad new class of drugs to treat multiple diseases, Alnylam has built a strong portfolio of issued and pending patents covering compositions and uses of RNAi therapeutics. Alnylam created the InterfeRx(TM) program to grant licenses under this intellectual property to biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies wishing to pursue RNAi therapeutics against specific targets outside Alnylam's core strategic interests.
"With its unique expertise in particular targets, GeneCare is exactly the type of licensee we had in mind when we created the InterfeRx program," said Vincent Miles, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Business Development, of Alnylam. "We are delighted to have GeneCare as the first of what we expect to be many participants in our InterfeRx program, which is an important part of our overall strategy to maximize the value of our intellectual property portfolio in RNAi."
GeneCare, based in Kamakura, is focused on target validation, drug discovery, and drug development activities in oncology and other disease areas. Under the license granted by Alnylam, GeneCare has exclusive rights to investigate RNAi therapeutics directed against two specific genes belonging to the RecQ DNA helicase gene family that are believed to be relevant to the treatment of cancer and possibly other human diseases.
"We are firm believers in the potential of RNAi therapeutics to treat important diseases," said Yasuhiro Furuichi, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of GeneCare. "As an important step in moving our drug discovery programs forward, we are pleased to form this alliance and to have been granted this exclusive license from Alnylam to the key intellectual property in the field."
About RNAi
RNA interference, or RNAi, is a naturally occurring mechanism within cells for selectively silencing and regulating specific genes that is potentially the basis for a new class of therapeutic products. Since many diseases are caused by the inappropriate activity of specific genes, the ability to silence and regulate such genes selectively through RNAi could provide a means to treat a wide range of human diseases. The discovery of RNAi has been heralded by many as a major breakthrough, and the journal Science named RNAi the top scientific achievement of 2002, as well as one of the top 10 scientific advances of 2003.
About Alnylam
Alnylam is a biopharmaceutical company seeking to develop and commercialize novel therapeutics based on RNA interference, or RNAi. Growing from its foundation as the world's first company focused on RNAi therapeutics, 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 therapeutics. Alnylam is developing a pipeline of RNAi products using Direct RNAi(TM) to treat ocular, central nervous system, and respiratory diseases and Systemic RNAi(TM) to treat a broad range of diseases, including oncologic, metabolic, and autoimmune diseases. The company's global headquarters are in Cambridge, Massachusetts. For additional information, please visit alnylam.com.
About GeneCare Research Institute
GeneCare Research Institute Co. Ltd. (GeneCare) was founded by scientists of the former AGENE Research Institute Co. Ltd., a research consortium supported by the Japanese government's Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency and four pharmaceutical companies (Nippon Roche, Eisai, Kissei Yakuhin Kogyo and Meiji Seika). For seven years (1994-2001), AGENE conducted research aimed at clarifying the mechanism of human aging and extensively studied several genetic disorders that are caused by the mutation of DNA helicases and show premature aging phenotypes, including Werner syndrome. AGENE had an excellent reputation for a number of important discoveries that were published in nearly 100 papers. AGENE was transformed into an intellectual properties holding company in 2001, and the research activities and facilities of AGENE were succeeded by GeneCare under the direction of Dr. Yasuhiro Furuichi, a discoverer of the mRNA cap structure. Privileged to use the intellectual property of AGENE, GeneCare intends to contribute to the field of human healthcare by defining molecular targets for curing disease and discovering innovative drug seeds to develop as medicines in cooperation with pharmaceutical companies.... |
