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Nç©ovacs To Expand Clinical Testing Of Its TNF-alpha Kinoid Lead Product Candidate Following Positive Preliminary Findings From A Phase I/II Study
Neovacs, a biotechnology company developing proprietary immunotherapeutics for autoimmune and chronic diseases, announced that subject to regulatory consent, it plans to initiate a Phase II study of its TNF-alpha Kinoid later this year in rheumatoid arthritis patients who have failed treatment with at least one TNF-alpha inhibitor. The decision to proceed with the trial was based on an initial review of encouraging data from the company"s Phase I/II study in Crohn"s disease.

Sen. Kennedy Circulates Draft Of Health Reform Legislation
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chair Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) is circulating an outline of health care overhaul legislation that includes a requirement that all individuals obtain coverage and requires contributions from employers, the Washington Post reports. According to the Post, the legislation "closely resembles" the Massachusetts health insurance law enacted in 2006, the Post reports. According to the draft summary, the bill calls for a public, government-sponsored health insurance option that would compete with private insurers. The measure also would expand Medicaid eligibility, according to the Post. Kennedy spokesperson Anthony Coley said that the outline is not yet finalized. He said, "We are still actively negotiating with members" of the Senate HELP Committee. According to a top White House official, Kennedy is expected to introduce his measure on Monday. A timetable released by Kennedy"s office calls for Senate HELP Committee Democrats to meet June 2 (Connolly, Washington Post, 5/29). A bipartisan walk-through of Kennedy"s bill is scheduled for June 5 and June 9. Hearings on the bill would then take place on June 10 or June 11. The mark up of the bill is scheduled from June 16 through June 25 (Bogardus, The Hill, 5/28). If Kennedy holds to the schedule, he will be ahead of other congressional Democrats, including Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.), on proposing overhaul legislation (Washington Post, 5/29). Coley said, "These are target dates that are not set in stone." Although Senate Democrats are hoping to pass health care reform legislation before the August recess, several senators have questioned whether that timeline is feasible (The Hill, 5/28). Reform Supporters Call For Removal of Ad
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Weakening IP Would Threaten R&D Investment
A proposal to dramatically weaken intellectual property legislation could lead to the loss
Health Insurance

Alnylam Joins GSK In Donating Intellectual Property To Patent Pool For Neglected Tropical Diseases

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALNY) announced that Alnylam will contribute more than 1500 issued or pending patents on its RNA interference (RNAi) technology patent estate to the patent pool established by GSK earlier this year. Alnylam is the first company to add its patents to the approximately 800 patent filings GSK provided to populate the pool in March. The company"s RNAi platform provides an innovative approach to drug discovery and development through "gene silencing," a technology that targets the cause of diseases by potently silencing specific messenger RNAs (mRNAs), thereby preventing disease-causing proteins from being made. "We are delighted that Alnylam will join GSK in this important programme by adding their unique RNAi technology to the patent pool," said Andrew Witty, Chief Executive Officer of GSK. "The key objective of the pool is to make it easier for researchers across the world to access intellectual property that may be useful in the search for new medicines to treat neglected tropical diseases. The more companies, academic institutions and foundations that join the pool, the more effective it will be. Alnylam"s announcement today is therefore a welcome and significant step forward." The patent pool was formed to aid in the discovery and development of new medicines for the treatment of 16 neglected tropical diseases (NTD), as defined by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, in the world"s Least Developed Countries. By adopting a more flexible approach to intellectual property, the patent pool will facilitate access to compounds and technologies for organisations that want to conduct research on treatments for these neglected diseases. "We are committed to the innovation of medicines for patients, so we cannot ignore the potential of our technology to make a difference in the discovery of important new medicines for neglected diseases that afflict millions of people each year," said John Maraganore, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Alnylam. "We are very proud to be joining GSK in this unique and bold vision of social responsibility for some of the world"s poorest nations." Through today"s contribution, Alnylam is providing RNAi intellectual property, technology and know-how on a royalty-free, non-profit basis in the Least Developed Countries via licensing agreements with qualified third parties. Such organisations will be engaged in research efforts focused on discovery of new medicines for NTD and their distribution to Least Developed Countries. In the near term, Alnylam RNAi technology is expected to help validate novel drug targets for the discovery and development of treatments for the targeted NTD in least developed countries. For example, the technology has already helped to identify new targets for malaria treatments. , , In the future, RNAi therapeutics may themselves be developed and used directly in the treatment of more neglected tropical diseases. About the patent pool The diseases targeted by the pool are the 16 diseases identified by the FDA for its own Neglected Tropical Diseases initiative. These are tuberculosis, malaria, blinding trachoma, buruli ulcer, cholera, dengue/dengue haemorrhagic fever, racunculiasis, fascioliasis, human African trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis, leprosy, lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, soil transmitted helminthiasis and yaws. The geographic focus of the pool will be the world"s Least Developed Countries as identified by the United Nations and includes much of western and central Africa as well as several countries in Southeast Asia. About RNA Interference (RNAi) RNAi (RNA interference) is a revolution in biology, representing a breakthrough in understanding how genes are turned on and off in cells, and a completely new approach to drug discovery and development. Its discovery was awarded the 2006 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine. RNAi is a natural process of gene silencing that occurs in organisms ranging from plants to mammals. By harnessing the natural biological process of RNAi occurring in cells, the creation of a major new class of medicines, known as RNAi therapeutics, is on the horizon. RNAi therapeutics target the cause of diseases by potently silencing specific messenger RNAs (mRNAs), thereby preventing disease-causing proteins from being made. RNAi therapeutics have the potential to treat disease and help patients in a fundamentally new way. Alnylam Pharmaceuticals


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