Rosetta Genomics Receives First Ever Patent Supporting MicroRNA-Based Diagnostics and Therapeutics
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Rosetta Genomics, Ltd. has announced that on May 15, 2007, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued Rosetta Genomics U.S. Patent No. 7,217,807.
This is the first microRNA composition of matter patent ever issued relating to a human or viral microRNA gene, and the company believes that this issuance sets an important precedent for Rosetta Genomics' entire target patent portfolio.
The patent covers composition of matter directed at a specific microRNA gene found in the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).
The company believes that this patent, as well as the hundreds of other viral and human microRNA-related patent claims filed by the company worldwide, constitutes a broad intellectual property estate surrounding a new class of prospective drug targets with significant therapeutic opportunity.
Targeting microRNAs provides the unique potential to either up- or down-regulate key disease causing proteins. The potential to up- or down-regulate protein expression broadly across this prospective target class is a significant advantage.
Human and viral microRNA targets are expected to play a role in the regulation of key disease processes in major therapeutic areas such as oncology, metabolism and infectious diseases.
"This is truly a precedent setting event for validating our extensive portfolio in microRNA genes for both therapeutics and diagnostics," said Ranit Aharonov, Ph.D., Executive Vice President IP & Computational Biology at Rosetta Genomics Ltd.
"Rosetta Genomics is the first commercial entity to receive a patent on a microRNA gene. Given we have another patent which has been allowed, and many others in active examination, we feel confident that we will continue to see issuances of our patents for both human and viral microRNA gene sequences as well as patents covering microRNA biomarkers and our cutting-edge enabling technologies. We view the USPTO's decision to issue this patent as strong validation of our position as a leader in this rapidly expanding field.
