Alnylam, Isis, Tekmira drug delivery news
Alnylam and Isis filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts alleging that Tekmira infringed Alnylam's patents covering its siRNA and lipid nanoparticle drug delivery technologies. Alnylam said that by providing lipid nanoparticle-formulated siRNA molecules to Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (NYSE:BMY, New York, N.Y.) under a 2010 deal, Tekmira infringed Alnylam's U.S. Patent Nos. 7,695,902, 6,858,225, 6,815,432, 6,534,484, 6,586,410 and 6,858,224. The patents cover methods of using siRNAs to treat disease. Alnylam and Isis are seeking an injunction preventing Tekmira from commercializing its products prior to the expiration of Alnylam's patents, as well as damages (see BioCentury, May 17, 2010).
As a result of a 2004 deal under which Alnylam received rights to IP covering RNAi, Isis is eligible for portions of Alnylam's milestones and royalties from a 2008 deal with Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. (Tokyo:4502, Osaka, Japan) to develop and commercialize RNAi therapeutics to treat cancer and metabolic diseases (see BioCentury, March 15, 2004 & June 2, 2008). ...