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Regulus Hits Milestone in Biogen Idec microRNA Biomarker Deal

NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Regulus Therapeutics announced today that it has received an undisclosed milestone payment from Biogen Idec related to the companies' ongoing collaboration to identify microRNA biomarkers for multiple sclerosis.

The firms first began working together in 2012 under a deal that had Regulus using its technology to extract, profile, and analyze miRNAs from small volumes of blood from both MS patients and healthy volunteers. Last year, the companies forged a new arrangement that calls for Regulus to profile whole blood samples from a cohort of MS patients treated with Biogen Idec's MS therapeutics.

To earn the latest milestone, Regulus said it was able to develop its miRNA extraction and profiling technology to meet the quality specifications set out by its partner.

It said is now working to identify a miRNA signature that can differentiate MS patients with the relapse remitting form of the disease from healthy volunteers.

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