Quark Pharmaceuticals Files Patent Application Covering Chemical Modifications to its RNAi Molecules
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Quark Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that the Company has filed a patent application covering a number of chemical modifications that confer to the siRNA molecule stability and excellent penetration into the human cells tested.
"With the submission of this patent application, we believe we have provided significant additional protection for our pipeline program," said Daniel Zurr, President and CEO of Quark.
"Filing of this patent application marks a significant step in our efforts to solidify our position as a leader in the RNAi therapeutics space, as the new structures allow us more flexibility with regard to intellectual property. We believe our future siRNA therapeutics will be less dependent on in-licensed rights to RNAi technology. This patent application adds the element of structural design to our expertise in identifying clinically attractive drug targets using a proprietary discovery platform and local or systemic delivery."
The patent application relates to new classes of chemically modified siRNA structures that have been tested in cell culture and have demonstrated enhanced stability, silencing activity, and cell penetration. Several new molecules are currently in preclinical testing. This research is part of Quark's program to develop synthetic siRNA patterns with drug-like properties as well as improved targeted delivery systems.
