Arbutus Announces Issuance of Broad New US Patent for LNP Delivery Technology
Tuesday, August 09, 2016
Arbutus Biopharma Corporation, an industry-leading hepatitis B virus (HBV) therapeutic solutions company, today announced the issuance of a new patent, U.S. 9,404,127 (‘127 patent), that bolsters Arbutus' intellectual property for its proprietary lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery technology.
The claims of the ‘127 patent broadly encompass populations of lipid particles effective for delivering nucleic acid payloads, including mRNA, and applications ranging from gene therapy to vaccines. The claims of the patent very likely cover all lipid particle formulations presently in the clinic for delivery of nucleic acids and many, if not all of the more advanced LNP-based products in preclinical development. Significantly, the claims are not limited to particles having defined concentrations or relative ratios of lipid components, nor are the claims limited to particular lipid component structures.
"We view the ‘127 patent as an important addition to our LNP intellectual property portfolio," said Dr. Mark J. Murray, Arbutus' President and CEO. "We believe that many companies attempting to deliver nucleic acids using lipid particles will need a license to our patents and would benefit from our advanced technology and from our clinical, regulatory and manufacturing knowhow. Prospective LNP partnerships have the potential to enable the promising field of mRNA therapeutics and provide significant non-dilutive capital to extend the runway for our main mission to develop curative treatment regimens for HBV."
Source : investor.arbutusbio.com
