japanese patent

an therapeutics, is pleased to announce that the Japanese Patent Office has issued a Decision to Grant Benitec?s Patent: ?Multiple promoter expression cassettes for simultaneous delivery of RNAi agents?. The claims cover the use of an RNA interference construct (with multiple promoters) to inhibit the level of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) in cells, tissues and organs.
Benitec has licensed the exclusive rights to this Hepatitis C patent to Tacere Therapeutics, Inc., which is working with Pfizer to further develop and commercialise Tacere?s anti-HCV ddRNAi compounds. HCV continues to be a major disease burden on the world. In 1999, the WHO estimated a worldwide prevalence of about 3% with the virus affecting 170 million people worldwide.
Tacere Therapeutics? Chief Executive Officer Sara Hall Renison commented, ?We are very pleased with the news from the Japanese Patent Office. The additional patent coverage extended to Japan means that another important market for this therapeutic approach is protected.?
Benitec?s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Peter French said, ?The intention of the Japanese Patent Office to grant this patent is an important addition to our already broad and robust patent portfolio in DNA-directed RNAi, and complements the already granted patents for this work in Europe, the United States, Australia and New Zealand.?