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MDRNA, Inc. Gains Full Financial and Transactional Control of Its Proprietary UNA Technology
Amends Agreement With RiboTask to Eliminate All Milestone and Royalty Payments
| Source: MDRNA, Inc.
BOTHELL, WA--(Marketwire - June 19, 2009) - MDRNA, Inc. (NASDAQ : MRNA ) announced today that
it now has full financial and transactional control over the use of its
proprietary UNA (Unlocked Nucleobase Analog) technology for the development
of RNAi-based therapeutics. The Company completed negotiations with
RiboTask ApS to eliminate all downstream financial consideration to
RiboTask resulting from collaborations established between MDRNA and
potential pharmaceutical and biotechnology partners. Terms of this
Amendment to their May 2008 Agreement were not disclosed.
UNA, when used in the synthesis of a short-interfering RNA (UsiRNA),
provides drug-like properties to a siRNA in a novel and proprietary manner;
these include protection from enzymatic destruction; reduction, or
elimination, of a cytokine response; and preservation of high efficacy. The
use of UsiRNA as RNAi-based therapeutics has the potential for both
effective protein down regulation with lower total doses of siRNA and an
improved safety profile.
"In pre-clinical studies we have completed over the past 12 months, our
proprietary UsiRNA constructs have been shown to increase stability, reduce
off-target activity and cytokine induction, and improve gene silencing.
These characteristics are key to human therapeutic use of UsiRNA and, when
formulated with our DilA2 delivery technology, provide a powerful approach
to down regulating protein expression via RNAi," stated J. Michael French,
President and CEO of MDRNA. "We believe that amending the IP assignment
agreement at this time provides us greater flexibility to complete broad
target and therapeutic based collaborations with major pharmaceutical
companies."
In October 2008, MDRNA completed the acquisition of the patent portfolio
related to UNA from RiboTask via an intellectual property assignment
agreement, which included certain financial obligations payable by MDRNA to
RiboTask in the event of a license, development or sale of UNA-based siRNA
for human therapeutic use. Under the renegotiated terms, all future
financial obligations payable by MDRNA to RiboTask were eliminated.
RiboTask retains rights to manufacture, sell and sublicense UNA technology
for use in reagents and diagnostics only.
Mr. French added, "MDRNA and RiboTask have enjoyed a strong and mutually
rewarding partnership. I would like to recognize and thank Dr. Jesper
Wengel, Suzy Lena and their colleagues at RiboTask, as well as our own
scientists, for the tremendous work they have done to rapidly advance this
promising technology. We look forward to a continued partnership with Dr.
Wengel and his team."
About Unlocked Nucleobase Analog
Unlocked Nucleobase Analog (UNA) is an acyclic ribonucleoside analog having
an open sugar ring structure. This change in sugar structure renders this
nucleoside analog very flexible. This characteristic is in sharp contrast
to the widely used Locked Nucleobase Analog (LNA) that locks the sugar
conformation by a bridged bond between C2' and C4' atoms. The flexible
nature of UNA reduces the binding affinity between two strands of siRNA
molecule and gives unique characteristics to its gene-silencing abilities.
MDRNA has demonstrated that UNA has the potential to improve siRNA
therapeutics by increasing stability, reducing sense- and
antisense-mediated off-target effects and substantially reduces cytokine
induction while retaining potency.
About UsiRNAs
UsiRNAs are UNA modified duplex siRNAs in which the bond between two
adjacent carbon atoms of ribose is removed. UsiRNAs are fully recognized by
the RNAi machinery and provide for potent RNAi activity. Placement of UNA
within UsiRNA minimizes the potential for off-target effects by the guide
strand as well as undesired activity of the passenger strand. Further, the
change in sugar structure renders this unlocked nucleobase analog
conformationally flexible. The flexibility of the monomer escapes the
body's surveillance mechanisms associated with cytokine induction, as well
as providing protection from nuclease degradation.
About the DiLA2 Delivery Platform
The DiLA2 Platform is MDRNA's proprietary platform for creating novel
liposomal delivery systems from amino acids. The platform enables MDRNA to
tailor the charge, linker and acyl chains of amino acids in order to
optimize the liposome for delivery to the target tissue of interest. In
addition, the platform is designed to permit attachment of various peptides
and other targeting molecules to improve a variety of delivery
characteristics. In addition, MDRNA is utilizing peptides for nanoparticle
formulations to increase cellular uptake and endosomal release.
About MDRNA, Inc.
MDRNA is a biotechnology company focused on the development and
commercialization of therapeutic products based on RNA interference (RNAi).
Our goal is to improve human health through the development of RNAi-based
compounds and drug delivery technologies that together provide superior
therapeutic options for patients. Over the past decade, we have developed
substantial capabilities in molecular biology, cellular biology, lipid
chemistry, peptide chemistry, pharmacology and bioinformatics, which we are
applying to a wide range of RNAi technologies and delivery approaches.
These capabilities plus the in-licensing of key RNAi-related intellectual
property have rapidly enabled us to become a leading RNAi-based
therapeutics company with a pre-clinical pipeline in key therapeutic areas
including oncology, metabolic disorders and inflammation. Through our
capabilities, expertise and know-how, we are incorporating multiple RNAi
technologies as well as peptide- and lipid-based delivery approaches into a
single integrated drug discovery platform that will be the engine for our
clinical pipeline as well as a versatile platform for establishing broad
therapeutic partnerships with biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.
We are also investing in new technologies that we expect to lead to safer
and more effective RNAi-based therapeutics while aggressively building upon
our broad and extensive intellectual property estate. By combining broad
expertise in siRNA science with proven delivery platforms and a strong IP
position, MDRNA is well positioned as a leading RNAi-based drug discovery
and development company. Additional information about MDRNA, Inc. is
available at http://www.mdrnainc.com.
MDRNA Forward-Looking Statements
Statements made in this news release may be forward-looking statements
within the meaning of Federal Securities laws that are subject to certain
risks and uncertainties and involve factors that may cause actual results
to differ materially from those projected or suggested. Factors that could
cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking
statements include, but are not limited to: (i) the ability of MDRNA or a
subsidiary to obtain additional funding; (ii) the ability of MDRNA or a
subsidiary to attract and/or maintain manufacturing, research, development
and commercialization partners; (iii) the ability of MDRNA, a subsidiary
and/or a partner to successfully complete product research and development,
including preclinical and clinical studies and commercialization; (iv) the
ability of MDRNA, a subsidiary and/or a partner to obtain required
governmental approvals; and (v) the ability of MDRNA, a subsidiary and/or a
partner to develop and commercialize products that can compete favorably
with those of competitors. Additional factors that could cause actual
results to differ materially from those projected or suggested in any
forward-looking statements are contained in MDRNA's most recent periodic
reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q that are filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. MDRNA assumes no obligation to update and supplement
forward-looking statements because of subsequent events.