Gen-Probe Licenses HPA Technology to Alnylam

Gen-Probe Incorporated has announced that it has licensed to Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. non-exclusive rights to use Gen-Probe's hybridization protection assay (HPA) technology in the development of therapeutic RNA interfering molecules.

"This agreement enables us to generate economic value from our proprietary technologies in an exciting, growing area that is outside our molecular diagnostic focus," said Martin Edelshain, Gen-Probe's vice president of corporate development.

In developing RNAi therapeutics, researchers must be able to monitor the biodistribution of the drugs throughout the body.

Gen-Probe's HPA technology is designed to detect these circulating RNAi molecules. With this technology, a specific DNA probe is labeled with an acridinium ester detector molecule that emits light when the probe hybridizes (binds) with its specified target.

A luminometer detects and measures the light emitted from the reaction, if any. If no light is generated, the target RNAi molecule is not present in the sample.