Non-exclusive worldwide licence to use ddRNAi in research programs granted

Sigma-Aldrich, a life science and high technology company, has announced that it has granted Pfizer a worldwide non-exclusive research licence to use DNA-directed RNAi (ddRNAi) technology.

Applications of the ddRNAi technology for research activities have been licensed exclusively by Sigma-Aldrich from Benitec Limited of Australia. This research licence provides Pfizer with freedom to use ddRNAi in undertaking research activities throughout its global operations.

"ddRNAi has important research applications and future potential for therapeutic development. Following our research collaboration with The RNAi Consortium licences to key RNAi intellectual property, Sigma-Aldrich has an intellectual property portfolio in RNAi that positions us well for a comprehensive out-licensing program as well as market leadership in RNAi research reagents," Shaf Yousaf, president of the Sigma-Aldrich Research Biotechnology business unit, said.

The use of ddRNAi to develop therapeutics is recognised as having a number of critical advantages available over alternative RNAi and other gene silencing technologies.

These include the wide range of technologies to deliver the ddRNAi molecules into the target cell, the critical ability to simultaneously disable multiple genes in order to attack mutating viral diseases and cancers, the ability to silence genes in whole organisms and the ability to control the expression and timing of gene silencing, particularly important to the development of drugs for the pharmaceutical industry.