Broad and Enabling IP Estate
Marina has a broad intellectual property (IP) estate that provides global protection for both the development of RNAi-based therapeutics and molecular diagnostics - both of which are applicable to a wide range of human diseases. Marina’s comprehensive IP estate protects multiple innovative platforms and technologies, which are distinct from other RNAi companies. Our patent estate is built around four key platform-enabling technologies: Chemistry, siRNA Constructs, Nucleic Acid Delivery, and Gene Targets.
Chemistry IP
- Non-nucleotide monomer - Unlocked Nucleobase Analog (UNA)
- Conformationally Restricted Nucleotides (CRN)
- Nucleic acid-based molecular diagnostics using UNA and/or CRN chemistries
siRNA Construct IP
- UsiRNA (UNA-containing siRNA)
- Meroduplex siRNA (3-stranded siRNA)
- tkRNAi (bacterially-expressed short hairpin RNA)
Nucleic Acid Delivery IP
- Library of DiLA2 compounds
- Liposome delivery formulations
- Methods for making liposome delivery formulations
- Bacterial-mediated shRNA delivery system
- Phage display library for the identification of novel delivery peptides
- Tissue and cell-specific targeting peptides
- Nucleic acid condensing and delivery peptides
- RNA-peptide conjugates
Gene Targets and Therapeutic Indications IP
- siRNA sequences against 140 human disease gene targets with emphasis on oncology
Marina has built a significant patent portfolio based on internal innovation, in-licensing and acquisition which now includes 19 issued or allowed patents, 45 pending U.S. applications, 127 pending foreign applications and 7 PCT applications. The Company has in-licensed key patent rights including the seminal Fire and Mello patents which permit the use of double stranded RNA to induce the RNA interference pathway for therapeutic uses. The company has also exclusively licensed issued patents from the University of Michigan that protects cationic peptides for the condensation and enhanced delivery of nucleic acid. Further, Marina has exclusively licensed intellectual property from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center that protects the tkRNAi platform, which is a system for the delivery of shRNA via a bacterial vector. Marina has acquired patent rights related to unlocked nucleobase analogs (UNA) and conformationally restricted nucleoside (CRN) chemistry technologies, which provide Marina a proprietary means for stabilizing and conferring drug-like properties to UsiRNAs and meroduplex siRNA. In addition, the Marina patent estate protects the application of CRN technology to single-stranded nucleotide constructs such as antisense and antagomir technology.