Alnylam sues Tekmira over LNP-formulated siRNA molecules

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALNY), a leading RNAi therapeutics company, announced today that it has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corporation in the U.S. District Court of the District of Massachusetts. Alnylam's infringement suit against Tekmira is based upon Tekmira's research activities providing lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-formulated small interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules to a pharmaceutical collaborator.

“a major scientific breakthrough that happens once every decade or so”

As alleged in the complaint, Tekmira's activities are not protected under the exemption from patent infringement for drug development. As described in the complaint, Tekmira has infringed a number of issued patents related to siRNA and LNP technologies, including: U.S. Patent No. 7,695,902; U.S. Patent No. 6,858,225; U.S. Patent No. 6,815,432; U.S. Patent No. 6,534,484; U.S. Patent No. 6,586,410; and, U.S. Patent No. 6,858,224. Under Alnylam's contractual right to enforce Isis' patent U.S. Patent No. 7,695,902, Alnylam joined Isis to the suit as a co-plaintiff.