Rosetta Granted U.S. Patent Allowance for the Use of microRNAs to Treat Liver Cancer
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Rosetta Genomics Ltd. has announced receipt of a Notice of Allowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) related to U.S. Patent Application No. 13/481,105 titled "Targeting microRNAs for the Treatment of Liver Cancer."
This allowance is for a therapeutic patent that protects a method for treating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), or liver cancer, and covers the administration of a compound comprising a modified oligonucleotide that is an anti-miR-222.
In addition, various modifications of the nucleotide are claimed. There is an additional claim which refers to the reduction of the levels of serum alpha-fetoprotein or serum des-gamma-carboxyprothrombin in the subject to be treated.
"HCC is the fifth most common cancer in the world and the third leading cause of cancer deaths. Because standard chemotherapy usually has no beneficial outcome on HCC patients, there is significant need for new therapeutic modalities and novel therapeutic targets in order to develop more effective treatments for HCC," said E. Robert Wassman, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Rosetta Genomics.
Wassman continued, "Since microRNAs are master regulators of gene expression, their de-regulation can trigger changes that lead to the disease phenotype, and the modulation of their activity can be a key to the development of novel therapies."
"We continue to fortify and protect our global leadership position in microRNA technology with the addition of this valuable patent allowance," commented Kenneth A. Berlin, President and CEO of Rosetta Genomics. "Our solid patent position in microRNAs provides us with the opportunity to license, partner or otherwise derive value from this powerful technology for use in a variety of diagnostic and targeted therapeutics in oncology where there continues to be a large, unmet medical need."
Rosetta Genomics maintains an active intellectual property strategy to protect its leadership position in microRNA technology. Rosetta's portfolio includes 33 issued patents, including 30 in the U.S.
In addition, Rosetta has 43 patent applications pending, of which 23 are in the U.S. These applications protect the specific microRNAs used in the Company's products and cover composition of matter, diagnostic applications, therapeutic applications and discovery process applications for microRNAs in humans.
