Silence Therapeutics plc (AIM: SLN) ("Silence" or the "Company") announces the issuance of United States patent 7,723,316, titled Compositions and Methods of RNAi Therapeutics For Treatment of Cancer and Other Neovascularization Disease, by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The issued patent, which deepens the Company's diverse portfolio of RNA interference (RNAi) intellectual property, is broadly directed to a double-stranded short interfering RNA (siRNA) sequence that targets vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2). VEGFR2 has been demonstrated to play an important role in the vasculogenic and angiogenic activities that contribute to the development and progression of tumors associated with a broad range of cancers. The issued subject matter is not limited to the VEGFR2 compositions and also includes methods for reducing tumor growth.
"Silence is compiling a powerful portfolio of intellectual property with value tied to the unique scope of its issued claims and not simply a large number of owned patents. Today's patent issuance fits perfectly with this strategy, as in our opinion, there are few disease targets with IP value comparable to VEGFR2," stated Philip Haworth, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Silence Therapeutics. "With its demonstrated connection to a broad host of cancers, among other disease areas, VEGFR2 is a target that we expect to help drive the expansion of Silence's RNAi therapeutics pipeline. We view today's milestone as more than just another patent issuance; it is a development that significantly enhances the fundamental usefulness and functionality of our growing RNAi IP estate."
The specific composition of matter and method claims for the issued patent include but are not limited to: