Mirna Therapeutics, Inc., a private biotechnology company pioneering microRNA (miRNA) replacement therapies for cancer, announced the allowance of key claims in US Patent Application No. 11/837,487 entitled “Method and compositions involving miRNA and miRNA inhibitor molecules”. The allowed claims describe multiple chemistries and structures used in therapeutic miRNA mimics, including the one used in MRX34, the company’s lead clinical candidate.

The composition of matter claims complement other Mirna patents previously issued by the US Patent and Trademark Office, which relate to the therapeutic use of fifteen miRNAs in the treatment of various cancers.

Mirna is currently conducting a phase I clinical trial of MRX34, a miR-34-based therapy and the first miRNA mimic to advance into a human clinical trial. The phase I trial is treating patients with unresectable primary liver cancer or metastatic cancer with liver involvement. The Company expects to complete the clinical trial late 2014.

“In addition to multiple patents in our portfolio issued already in US and Europe, this patent provides further significant intellectual property protection for the miRNA in Mirna’s lead product candidate MRX34 and that of other miRNA mimics in our pipeline,” said Dr Paul Lammers, Mirna’s president and CEO. “The allowed claims increase the value of MRX34 as well as additional earlier stage assets in our pipeline and, importantly, these claims strengthen our position as a leading miRNA therapeutics company.”

Mirna’s research is in part supported by a commercialization grant from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT).

Liver cancer is the fifth most common cancer worldwide and the third leading cause of cancer death.

MRX34 is the first of a series of clinical therapeutic candidates from Mirna Therapeutics designed to mimic the activity of a human microRNA (miRNA). MRX34 is a liposome-formulated mimic of the tumor suppressor miRNA, miR-34, which is lost or expressed at reduced levels in most solid and liquid tumors. It functions within the p53 pathway and inhibits cancer cell growth by repressing MYC, MET, BCL2, ß-catenin, and other oncogenes. The miR-34 mimic induces cell cycle arrest, senescence and cell death. It also interferes with the viability of cancer stem cells, creates a barrier to metastasis, and sensitizes cancer cells to other therapies.

Mirna Therapeutics is focused on the development and commercialisation of miRNA therapeutics.