Regulus Therapeutics Inc., founded by Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALNY), and Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ISIS), announced today that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has allowed a patent application within the ‘Esau’ patent family (US Application Serial No. 10/909,125). The Esau patent estate, which is owned exclusively by Regulus, represents one of the earliest filings in the microRNA intellectual property landscape, and is fundamental to the discovery, development, and commercialization of microRNA therapeutics.
“Regulus is advancing a new class of innovative medicines based on microRNAs. Indeed, microRNA therapeutics represent a new frontier of pharmaceutical research where an entire pathway of human disease can be targeted,” said Kleanthis G. Xanthopoulos, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Regulus Therapeutics. “This Notice of Allowance is the first in the Esau series, and we expect many more patents covering microRNA therapeutics to issue from this important and early patent family.”