Marina Biotech, Inc., a leading RNAi-based drug discovery and development company, announced that the European Patent Office intends to grant a patent for application EP0780087 broadly covering peptide-siRNA conjugates for the delivery of siRNA to cells. The claims broadly cover a peptide conjugated to an siRNA, independent of sequence.

“The advancement of safe and effective RNAi-based delivery systems remains a key goal for Marina Biotech in our efforts to discover and develop novel RNAi-based therapeutics,” stated J. Michael French, president and CEO of Marina Biotech, Inc. “We strongly believe that there is no single delivery system that will provide the qualities necessary for the safe and effective delivery of RNAi-based therapeutics broadly across human disease. Therefore, we have built, or acquired, an extensive siRNA delivery platform which encompasses a variety of delivery technologies including amino acid chemistry, amphoteric liposomes, bacterial based mediated gene silencing as well as peptide and peptide conjugate based approaches. In connection with this recent European allowance, we are amassing a significant intellectual property estate covering a peptide-based delivery system including targeting peptides derived from our patented phage display peptide library, nucleic acid condensing peptides, and peptide-nucleic acid conjugates. We are pleased to see allowances of this particular delivery-based patent as well as the target-based patents as evidence of our comprehensive and broad patent portfolio.”

In addition, the Company announced that the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand (IPONZ) has issued a Notice of Acceptance for patent application 563845, titled “RNAi Therapeutics for Respiratory Virus Infection.” Allowed claims cover siRNA directed against the PB2 and may be used to treat or prevent influenza. Further, the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property issued patent application MX/a/2007/003667, titled “Methods of Treating an Inflammatory Disease by Double-Stranded Ribonucleic Acid.” Allowed claims cover siRNA directed against the Tumour Necrosis Factor (TNF) gene and may be used for treating multiple inflammatory diseases.

Marina Biotech is a biotechnology company, focused on the development and commercialization of therapeutic products based on RNA interference (RNAi). The Marina Biotech pipeline currently includes a clinical programme in Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (a precancerous syndrome) and two preclinical programmes -- in hepatocellular carcinoma and bladder cancer.