Issuance of patents for Idera Pharmaceuticals' TLR-targeted compounds announced

Idera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: IDRA) today announced the issuance of patents covering its novel Toll-like Receptor (TLR) - targeted compounds. The Company’s TLR-targeted compounds are based on synthetic DNA and RNA, which it refers to as immune modulatory oligonucleotides, or IMO^®. Idera’s intellectual property portfolio contains over 500 patents and patent applications worldwide, which includes claims for TLR-targeted compounds, second-generation antisense chemistry, and oral delivery of certain oligonucleotides.

“The claims of these issued patents cover Idera’s IMO compositions, the use of IMOs in treating and preventing diseases, and the combination of IMOs with certain monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of cancer,” commented Steve Ritter, Ph.D., J.D., Vice President of Intellectual Property and Contracts. “These patents expand the patent protection for TLR-targeted compounds in our pipeline.”

The recently issued patents include:

• US 7,595,305, entitled “Modulation Of Immunostimulatory Properties Of Oligonucleotide-Based Compounds By Utilizing Modified Immunostimulatory Dinucleotides”
• US 7,569,554, entitled “Synergistic Treatment of Cancer Using Immunomers in Conjunction with Chemotherapeutic Agents”
• US 7,566,702, entitled “Immunostimulatory Oligonucletide Multimers”

In addition to the issued U.S. patents, patents corresponding to the US 7,569,554 patent were granted to the Company in Guatemala, Latvia, Macedonia, Morocco, New Zealand, and Singapore. The Company was also granted patents entitled “Synergistic Stimulation of the Immune System Using Immunostimulatory Oligonucleotides and/ or Immunomer Compounds in Conjunction with Cytokines and/or Chemotherapeutic Agents or Radiation Therapy” in China (ZL200480026430.5) and India (228,424).