Summary
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ALNY) has announced the filing of a patent infringement lawsuit against Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corporation in the Federal Court of Canada. The complaint, filed on September 25, 2012, alleges that Tekmira has infringed on Alnylam's issued Canadian Patent No. 2,359,180, which is related to small interfering RNA (siRNA) technology. This legal action stems from Tekmira's activities involving the provision of lipid nanoparticle-formulated siRNA molecules to a pharmaceutical collaborator, as well as Tekmira's internal research and validation efforts. Alnylam is seeking a judicial declaration of infringement, a permanent injunction to halt Tekmira's alleged infringing activities, along with damages, costs, and attorney's fees. This development is significant as it directly addresses potential intellectual property conflicts within the competitive RNA interference therapeutics space.
Key Highlights
- 1Alnylam Pharmaceuticals filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corporation.
- 2The lawsuit was filed in the Federal Court of Canada on September 25, 2012.
- 3The core of the lawsuit is the alleged infringement of Alnylam's Canadian Patent No. 2,359,180, related to siRNA technology.
- 4Infringement is alleged to arise from Tekmira's provision of lipid nanoparticle-formulated siRNA molecules to a third-party collaborator.
- 5Tekmira's own target research and validation activities are also cited as infringing.
- 6Alnylam is seeking a judgment of infringement, a permanent injunction, damages, and legal costs, including attorneys' fees.