Silence Therapeutics pleased with fitusiran progress

Serious disease treatment developer Silence Therapeutics updated the market on one of its patent-protected products on Monday, noting a release from Alnylam Pharmaceuticals on Friday which stated it was working with Sanofi Genzyme to initiate a phase 3 programme for the investigational ‘fitusiran’ treatment in patients with hemophilia A and B, with or without inhibitors.

The AIM-traded firm said that on 3 July, it referenced fitusiran within a list of Alnylam products that were being included within a claim issued in the UK courts relating to Silence's entitlement to supplementary protection certificates (SPC's) that extend European patent protection on those products.

Silence also noted that on 14 November 2016, Alnylam announced that Sanofi Genzyme had elected to opt in to co-develop and co-commercialize fitusiran in the United States, Canada and Western Europe.

That co-development included a $25m milestone payable by Sanofi Genzyme upon the initiation of the first global Phase 3 clinical trial for fitusiran, as well as further payments totalling up to $75m upon the achievement of development and regulatory milestones for fitusiran.

“We are delighted on behalf of patients with hemophilia A and B to hear this encouraging development, further highlighting the importance of siRNA medicines, and reiterate as stated in our press release on 30 May, 2017, that we consider potential licences under our patent estate could have a significant financial effect relative to the current market capitalisation of Silence,” said Silence chief executive Ali Mortazavi.