Alnylam Grants Hayashi Kasei License to Kreutzer-Limmer Patents for the RNAi Research Products Market

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Hayashi Kasei have announced that Alnylam has granted Hayashi Kasei a non-exclusive license to provide RNAi research products and services under the Kreutzer-Limmer patent family. This patent family, owned exclusively by Alnylam, covers small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and their use to mediate RNAi in mammalian cells.

"This license agreement with Hayashi Kasei, one of the leading suppliers of siRNAs in Japan and Korea, continues to underscore the value of the Kreutzer-Limmer patent family as a critical component of fundamental intellectual property in the field of RNAi," said Barry Greene, Chief Operating Officer of Alnylam.

"Alnylam continues to leverage its leading intellectual property estate through relationships worldwide that we expect will create value today and in the future. With approximately 30 licenses granted in the U.S., European, and Asian markets, including 14 with research product suppliers, we believe that the vast majority of industrial sales of siRNAs for research purposes are currently being made under access to Alnylam's intellectual property," Greene continued.

"Obtaining a license to the Kreutzer-Limmer patent estate allows us to augment our RNAi products, thereby strengthening our position in the global life sciences marketplace," said Hayashi Hirotake, Managing Director of Hayashi Kasei. "This agreement with Alnylam, a leader in the field of RNAi, reinforces our ability to become a leading supplier of innovative reagent products to the pharmaceutical and research community worldwide."