Silence Therapeutics plc announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (US PTO) has issued the company a notice of allowance on a patent application directed to methods of treatment using a high-value therapeutic target in the area of oncology. Known as PKN-3, the target is a protein kinase C-related molecule that is believed to play an important role in the growth of cancer cells, as well as metastasis formation. The allowed subject matter is directed to, among other things, methods of treating cancer with small interfering RNA (siRNA) or antisense molecules that target the PKN-3 messenger RNA (mRNA). The claims cover the siRNA molecule in Silence's lead clinical compound, Atu027, an RNAi therapeutic which targets PKN-3 for the treatment of advanced solid tumours.

"This action by the US PTO is the latest step in Silence's establishment of a proprietary and compelling RNAi therapeutic franchise which includes PKN-3 for the treatment of cancer. This development strengthens our dominant intellectual property position surrounding PKN-3, while specifically enhancing our global protection for Atu027, our phase-I candidate," said Philip Haworth, chief executive officer of Silence Therapeutics. "At the same time, this milestone serves to supplement our already broad and diverse global RNAi intellectual property portfolio and enhances the significant proprietary position that this portfolio affords."

Silence has built a strong and diverse intellectual property portfolio covering all essential areas of RNAi therapeutic development including multiple proprietary siRNA delivery technologies, potent siRNA sequences and key siRNA sequence and chemical modifications, as well as specific high-value disease targets.

Silence's lead internal product, Atu027, is a proprietary AtuRNAi molecule in clinical development for systemic cancer indications.

Silence Therapeutics plc is a leading global biotechnology company dedicated to the discovery, development and delivery of targeted, systemic RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics for the treatment of serious diseases.