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Silence Therapeutics Expands siRNA License to Quark Pharma

Aug 01, 2007
NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) - Silence Therapeutics and Quark Pharmaceuticals this week announced an expansion of an existing technology licensing agreement that provided Quark with access to Silence Therapeutics’ AtuRNAi siRNA technology.
 
Silence Therapeutics said that the initial license and option agreement, signed in 2005, resulted in the development of an AtuRNAi-based compound, RTP801i, which Quark licensed to Pfizer in 2006. The compound is currently in clinical trials as a treatment for macular degeneration.
 
The expanded agreement gives Quark options to non-exclusive licenses to develop molecules against three specific targets using the AtuRNAI technology. Silence will receive milestone payments and royalties from product sales after Quark exercises certain options.
 
"The goal in the RNAi sector is to advance clinical development and Quark has already proven it can utilize our proprietary AtuRNAi technology and take products into the clinic," said Silence Therapeutics' chairman, Iain Ross.
 
The company claims that AtuRNAi molecules are more stable than conventional siRNA molecules and resist nuclease degradation.
 
Further financial terms of the agreement were not released.

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