Marina Biotech, Inc. (Formerly Known as MDRNA, Inc.) Announces Allowance of Fundamental RNAi Delivery Patent From U.S. Patent Office

BOTHELL, WA--(Marketwire - August 30, 2010) - Marina Biotech, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRNA), a leading RNAi-based drug discovery and development company, today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued a Notice of Allowance for patent application U.S. 11/745,003 broadly covering amphoteric liposomal formulations, including the Company's proprietary SMARTICLES® technology, for delivery of siRNAs and other compounds with therapeutic application.

"Delivery of nucleic acids remains the biggest hurdle to successful development of RNAi-based therapeutics," said Barry Polisky, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Marina Biotech. "Amphoteric liposomes enable the precise control of the charge and fusion properties of a liposome which are key requisites for effective delivery, and do not require additional surface modification to stabilize and mask the particle from undesirable biological interactions. These unique characteristics differentiate amphoteric liposomes from standard liposomes used by others in the RNAi field, and provide a broad platform for the efficient delivery of RNAi-based therapeutics."

"We believe this patent allowance represents the fundamental IP necessary for developing amphoteric liposomal delivery systems for RNAi-based therapeutics," stated J. Michael French, President and CEO at Marina Biotech. "This allowance significantly enhances the company's IP position, and firmly establishes our competitive advantage with respect to RNAi-based delivery systems. In the near future, we expect to see additional patent allowances for Marina Biotech related to our fundamental IP covering the DiLA2 delivery platform, tkRNAi platform (bacterial delivery platform) and our peptide nanoparticle delivery platform."

About Marina Biotech, Inc.

Marina Biotech (formerly known as MDRNA, Inc.) is a biotechnology company, focused on the development and commercialization of therapeutic products based on RNA interference (RNAi). Marina's pipeline currently includes a clinical program in Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (a precancerous syndrome) and two preclinical programs -- in hepatocellular carcinoma and bladder cancer. Marina Biotech's goal is to improve human health through the development of RNAi-based compounds and drug delivery technologies that together provide superior therapeutic options for patients. Marina Biotech's global portfolio includes 62 issued or allowed patents; 56 U.S. patent applications; 146 foreign patent applications; and 8 PCT applications providing broad coverage for siRNAs, chemistry, delivery and gene targets. Additional information about Marina Biotech is available at http://www.marinabio.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements made in this news release may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of Federal Securities laws that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties and involve factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or suggested. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: (i) the ability of Marina Biotech to obtain additional funding; (ii) the ability of Marina Biotech to attract and/or maintain manufacturing, research, development and commercialization partners; (iii) the ability of Marina Biotech and/or a partner to successfully complete product research and development, including preclinical and clinical studies and commercialization; (iv) the ability of Marina Biotech and/or a partner to obtain required governmental approvals; and (v) the ability of Marina Biotech and/or a partner to develop and commercialize products that can compete favorably with those of competitors. Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or suggested in any forward-looking statements are contained in Marina Biotech's most recent periodic reports on Form 10-K (under MDRNA, Inc.) and Form 10-Q that are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Marina Biotech assumes no obligation to update and supplement forward-looking statements because of subsequent events.