CARLSBAD, Calif., Dec. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that in oral proceedings earlier this month, the European Patent Office (EPO) Technical Board of Appeal reinstated with amended claims the Isis-owned Patent EP0618925 (the '925 Patent). The patent claims broadly cover antisense drugs with "chimeric" or "gapmer" structures, including Isis' proprietary second-generation structures and the compositions of numerous other antisense compounds. More specifically, the claims cover a class of antisense compounds, any of which is designed to have a sequence of phosphorothioate-linked nucleotides having two regions of chemically modified RNA flanking a region of DNA. This design, along with other Isis chemical innovations, improve antisense drugs by enhancing potency and stability while supporting patient convenience with less frequent dosing.
Isis has had an extensive oligonucleotide medicinal chemistry program since its inception and it continues to lead the field in the development of RNA-based drugs. Isis inventions in oligonucleotide chemistry enable improved stability, potency, distribution and safety of antisense drugs and are the basis for a portion of the Company's industry-leading intellectual property position.
Stanley Crooke, M.D., Ph.D., Chairman and CEO of Isis, commented, "Virtually all antisense drugs currently in development, or likely to be developed in the near future, have gapmer compositions pioneered by Isis and covered by this issued patent. We are pleased that the EPO recognizes Isis' inventions and we intend to fully exercise our rights under this patent. Consistent with our historical strategy, we will begin to exploit this patent by aggressively pursuing licensing arrangements with companies developing or commercializing gapmer antisense compounds."
The '925 Patent was originally granted on August 29th, 2001, opposed by several parties and revoked by an EPO Opposition Division on December 10th, 2003. The Technical Board of Appeal's decision at the oral proceedings, held in Munich on December 5th, 2006, sets aside the Opposition Division's decision and upholds the patent in amended form to cover second-generation antisense structures.
ABOUT ISIS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
Isis is exploiting its expertise in RNA to discover and develop novel drugs for its product pipeline and for its partners. The Company has successfully commercialized the world's first antisense drug and has 15 drugs in development. Isis' drug development programs are aimed at treating cardiovascular, metabolic and inflammatory diseases. Isis' partners are focused in disease areas such as ocular, viral and neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. In its Ibis Biosciences(TM) division, Isis is developing and commercializing the Ibis T5000(TM) Biosensor System, a revolutionary system to identify infectious organisms. As an innovator in RNA-based drug discovery and development, Isis is the owner or exclusive licensee of approximately 1,500 issued patents worldwide. Additional information about Isis is available at www.isispharm.com.
This press release includes forward-looking statements regarding Isis Pharmaceuticals' business, its intellectual property portfolio, and the therapeutic and commercial potential of the Company's technologies and products in development. Any statement describing Isis' goals, expectations, intentions or beliefs is a forward-looking statement and should be considered an at-risk statement, including those statements that are described as Isis' goals. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, particularly those inherent in the process of discovering, developing and commercializing drugs that are safe and effective for use as human therapeutics, and in the endeavor of building a business around such products. Isis' forward-looking statements also involve assumptions that, if they never materialize or prove correct, could cause its results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although Isis' forward-looking statements reflect the good faith judgment of its management, these statements are based only on facts and factors currently known by Isis. As a result, you are cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These and other risks concerning Isis' programs are described in additional detail in Isis' annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005, and its quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2006, which are on file with the SEC. Copies of these and other documents are available from the Company.
Ibis T5000, Ibis Biosciences and Isis Pharmaceuticals are trademarks or registered trademarks of Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.CONTACT: Kate Corcoran, Ph.D., Vice President, Corporate Development, orWilliam Craumer, Executive Director, Corporate Communications, both of IsisPharmaceuticals, Inc., +1-760-603-2331
Web site: http://www.isispharm.com/
