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Biotech / Medical : Sirna Therapeutics Inc -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: bob zagorin who wrote (304)	1/27/2000 11:02:00 AM
From: bob zagorin	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 562

would like to hear what RZYM has to say about this. Gene Shears Triumph in European Ribozyme Patent Battle CANBERRA, Australia, Jan. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Gene Shears Pty Ltd announced that the Opposition Division of the European Patent Office has affirmed the validity of the claims in Gene Shears' European patent covering the broad use of its proprietary hammerhead ribozyme technology. Under European patent laws, granted patents are subject to a review period during which an opposing party may challenge the granted patent on a variety of grounds. Following a patent opposition filed by Ribozyme Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: RZYM), Gene Shears has successfully defended this patent with respect to all major grounds. "Gene Shears has broad patent protection for the use of hammerhead ribozymes in Europe and the United States. The decision upholding the patent claims in Europe is an important outcome for Gene Shears and Australia," says Dr. Jim Peacock, Chairman of Gene Shears. Patent application for the hammerhead ribozyme technology was originally filed by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in 1987. Gene Shears was formed in 1989 to commercialise hammerhead ribozymes invented by CSIRO plant molecular biologists, Dr. Jim Haseloff and Dr. Wayne Gerlach. They invented a new class of RNA molecules capable of inactivating target RNA in a highly specific manner. This has the effect of disabling a specific targeted gene in a plant or animal cell. Gene Shears hammerhead ribozymes can be used in a wide range of applications in the field of health care and agriculture. Gene Shears is owned by CSIRO and the French seed firm, Groupe Limagrain Pacific Pty Ltd, the Australian subsidiary of one of the world's largest seed companies, Groupe Limagrain. Gene Shears' licensees include Groupe Limagrain Holding and Johnson & Johnson Research Pty Ltd. Gene Shears' revolutionary hammerhead ribozyme technology is currently in phase 1 clinical trials in Australia and the United States in adults as a potential gene therapy for the human immuno deficiency virus (HIV) which causes AIDS. Research is also well advanced by Groupe Limagrain into applications of ribozymes in the agricultural and food industries. SOURCE Gene Shears Pty Ltd. CO: Gene Shears Pty Ltd.; Ribozyme Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ST: Australia IN: BIO HEA MTC SU: 01/27/2000 00:40 EST prnewswire.com