ST. LOUIS, Oct. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sigma-Aldrich, a leading $1.4 billion Life Science company announced today that it has signed a series of agreements that expand its position in the area of RNA Interference (RNAi). Sigma-Aldrich and Benitec Ltd. , a leading developer of RNAi-based therapeutics, have signed two major agreements, one in which Sigma-Aldrich acquires an equity stake in Benitec, and one in which Sigma-Aldrich is granted the exclusive license to Benitec’s intellectual property for RNAi in the field of research reagents. Sigma-Aldrich also has an agreement with Oxford BioMedica , a leading gene therapy company, to acquire an equity stake in that company and exclusive access to key intellectual property pertaining to the use of Lentivirus based vector systems. These agreements mark the latest of a number of affiliations that are expected to make Sigma-Aldrich a major force in RNAi.
“Signing of these agreements with two leading companies in RNAi is a significant milestone for Sigma-Aldrich,” stated Shaf Yousaf, President of Sigma-Aldrich’s Research Biotechnology Business Unit. “RNAi based therapeutics hold tremendous potential and both Benitec and Oxford BioMedica are among the leaders in this area. These agreements further illustrate Sigma-Aldrich’s commitment to being a leader in the field of RNA Interference and greatly strengthen its already strong portfolio of intellectual property in RNAi. Furthermore, access to the know-how of these two world-class companies and their proprietary technologies will accelerate our own R&D program directed towards the development of innovative tools and services for the biopharmaceutical industry.”
The Benitec patents represent key intellectual property in the practice of DNA-based RNAi. Under the terms of the agreement, Sigma-Aldrich will receive an exclusive license to this technology for research and commercialization of research based products. Additionally, Sigma-Aldrich has the exclusive right to issue sub-licenses to the Benitec intellectual property in that field. In return, Sigma-Aldrich will make an initial payment, annual minimum royalties, and continuing royalties on product sales and sub-licensee revenue. Sigma-Aldrich also receives a non-exclusive license in the research reagent field to patents co-owned by Benitec and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) of Australia for its solely owned commercial rights to RNAi in “non-human applications,” including its use in plants, animals, and insects. Benitec retains all of its existing rights to human therapeutics and diagnostics including the ability to enter into commercialization and drug discovery agreements with pharmaceutical partners.
The Oxford BioMedica patents focus on the use of Lentiviral vectors as delivery systems. These so-called ‘minimal vectors’, which contain only the few viral components required for efficient gene delivery, deliver genes to a wide range of dividing and non-dividing cells, including neurons. Oxford BioMedica has pending and granted patents on the technology providing a sound basis for freedom-to-operate in this field. Under the terms of the agreement, Sigma-Aldrich will receive a license to commercialize this technology as well as make and distribute products that utilize it. Sigma-Aldrich also has the exclusive right to issue sub-licenses to this intellectual property, in addition to a right of first refusal to negotiate a license to develop a new range of products based on Oxford BioMedica’s EIAV-based LentiVector technology. In exchange, Oxford BioMedica will receive an upfront payment, annual minimum payments and royalties on sales. Sigma-Aldrich has also committed to an equity investment in Oxford BioMedica, to be completed before January 31, 2006.
During the last year, Sigma-Aldrich has made a major commitment to the fast developing area of RNAi. This commitment began with the establishment of a research collaboration with The RNAi Consortium (TRC), that consists of a partnership between the Broad Institute MIT, Harvard, Dana Farber and other research organizations and several major pharmaceutical companies, and the introduction of the MISSION(R) TRC shRNA Libraries. The subsequent acquisition of Proligo secured Sigma-Aldrich’s ability to synthesize RNA and provided access to one of only four licenses to a key MIT patent for RNAi, allowing Sigma-Aldrich to take a strong position in siRNA. With these agreements with Benitec and Oxford BioMedica, Sigma-Aldrich now has a major intellectual property portfolio in RNAi which positions it well for market leadership in RNAi research reagents.
About Sigma-Aldrich: Sigma-Aldrich is a leading Life Science and High Technology company. Its biochemical and organic chemical products and kits are used in scientific and genomic research, biotechnology, pharmaceutical development, the diagnosis of disease and as key components in pharmaceutical and other high technology manufacturing. The company has customers in life science companies, university and government institutions, hospitals, and in industry. Over one million scientists and technologists use its products. Sigma-Aldrich operates in 35 countries and has over 6,800 employees providing excellent service worldwide and is committed to accelerating Customers’ success through leadership in Life Science, High Technology and Service. For more information about Sigma-Aldrich, please visit its award-winning Web site at sigma-aldrich.com.
About Benitec: Benitec is an international biotechnology company focused on developing therapeutics to treat serious diseases using its proprietary RNAi technology. Benitec is listed on the Australian Stock Exchange and has its operations centered in Silicon Valley in Mountain View, California, USA. Its lead therapeutic programs are for Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) and the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Benitec’s RNA-based HIV therapeutic, co-developed with the Center for Biomedicine & Genetics at the City of Hope in Los Angeles, California, will enter Phase I clinical trials in early 2006. Benitec’s RNAi therapeutic for HCV will enter clinical trials in late 2006. For additional information, please visit http://www.benitec.com .
About CSIRO: CSIRO is the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation of Australia and was involved in the discovery of ddRNAi. CSIRO successfully demonstrated that ddRNAi is a highly effective gene silencing technology in plants and has licensed the technology for a number of plant product applications. CSIRO is also active in transferring the ddRNAi technology to animal production applications. For additional information about CSIRO’s ddRNAi technology, visit http://www.pi.csiro.au/rnai .
About Oxford BioMedica: Oxford BioMedica is a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development of novel gene-based therapeutics with a focus on the areas of oncology and neurotherapy. The Company was established in 1995 as a spin out from Oxford University, and is listed on the London Stock Exchange. The Company is underpinned by over 80 patent families, which represent one of the broadest patent estates in the field. The staff of approximately 70 is split between its main facilities in Oxford and its wholly owned subsidiary, BioMedica Inc., in San Diego, California. Further information is available at http://www.oxfordbiomedica.co.uk .
Forward-looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that reflect the Companies’ current expectations regarding future events. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Actual events could differ materially from those projected herein and depend on a number of factors including the success of the Companies’ research strategy, the applicability of the discoveries made therein, the successful and timely completion of clinical studies and the uncertainties related to the regulatory process.
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CONTACT: Kirk Richter, Treasurer of Sigma-Aldrich Corporation,+1-314-286-8004
