IP Library Granted Patent US 12,655,430
Granted Patent B2
US 12,655,430 · App. 17/836,020 · Granted Jun 16, 2026

Human chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 (C9ORF72) iRNA agent compositions and methods of use thereof

Inventors: Elane Fishilevich (Rochester, MA); Stuart Milstein (Arlington, MA); Kirk Brown (Swampscott, MA); Tracy Zimmermann (Winchester, MA); James D. McIninch (Burlington, MA); David Frendewey (Tarrytown, NY); Eric Chiao (Tarrytown, NY); Aarti Sharma-Kanning (Tarrytown, NY); Anthony Gagliardi (Tarrytown, NY); Gustavo Droguett (Tarrytown, NY); Brittany Savage (Tarrytown, NY); Brian Zambrowicz (Tarrytown, NY)
Assignees: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
C12N15/113A61P25/28C12N2310/14C12N2310/315C12N2310/3515
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,655,430
App. No.
17/836,020
Granted
Jun 16, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

The disclosure relates to double stranded ribonucleic acid (dsRNAi) agents and compositions targeting a human chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 (C9orf72) gene, as well as methods of inhibiting expression of a C9orf72 gene and methods of treating subjects having a C9orf72-associated disease or disorder, e.g., C9orf72 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/frontotemporal dementia or Huntington-Like Syndrome Due To C9orf72 Expansions, using such dsRNAi agents and compositions.

Claims (31)

1 . A double stranded ribonucleic acid (dsRNA) agent for inhibiting expression of C9orf72, or a salt thereof,

wherein the dsRNA agent, or a salt thereof, comprises a sense strand and an antisense strand forming a double stranded region,

wherein the sense strand and the antisense strand are each independently 17-25 nucleotides in length,

wherein the antisense strand comprises at least 17 contiguous nucleotides from the nucleotide sequence 5′-AUUAAUCUUUAUCAGGUCUUUUC-3′ of SEQ ID NO:3,

wherein all of the nucleotides of the sense strand and all of the nucleotides of the antisense strand independently comprise a nucleotide modification selected from the group consisting of a 2′-O-methyl nucleotide modification and a 2′-fluoro nucleotide modification,

wherein the dsRNA agent, or a salt thereof, comprises 6-8 phosphorothioate internucleotide linkages; and

wherein a lipophilic moiety containing a saturated or unsaturated C6-C18 hydrocarbon chain is conjugated to one or more internal positions selected from the group consisting of positions 4-8 and 13-18 on the sense strand, counting from the 5′-end of the strand.

2 . The dsRNA agent, or a salt thereof, of claim 1 , wherein the lipophilic moiety is conjugated via a linker or carrier.

3 . The dsRNA agent, or a salt thereof, of claim 1 , wherein each strand is independently 19-25 nucleotides in length.

4 . The dsRNA agent, or a salt thereof, of claim 1 , wherein at least one strand comprises a 3′ overhang of at least 1 nucleotide.

5 . The dsRNA agent, or a salt thereof, of claim 1 , wherein the double stranded region is 17-25 nucleotide pairs in length.

6 . The dsRNA agent, or a salt thereof, of claim 1 , wherein the lipophilic moiety contains a saturated or unsaturated C16 hydrocarbon chain.

7 . The dsRNA agent, or a salt thereof, of claim 6 , wherein the saturated or unsaturated C16 hydrocarbon chain is conjugated to position 6, counting from the 5′-end of the strand.

8 . The dsRNA agent, or a salt thereof, of claim 1 , further comprising a phosphate or phosphate mimic at the 5′-end of the antisense strand.

9 . An isolated cell containing the dsRNA agent, or a salt thereof, of claim 1 .

10 . A pharmaceutical composition for inhibiting expression of a C9orf72, comprising the dsRNA agent, or a salt thereof, of claim 1 .

11 . A kit comprising the dsRNA agent, or a salt thereof, of claim 1 .

12 . A vial comprising the dsRNA agent, or a salt thereof, of claim 1 .

13 . A syringe comprising the dsRNA agent, or a salt thereof, of claim 1 .

14 . The dsRNA agent, or a salt thereof, of claim 1 , wherein the antisense strand comprises at least 18 contiguous nucleotides from the nucleotide sequence 5′-AUUAAUCUUUAUCAGGUCUUUUC-3′ of SEQ ID NO: 3.

15 . The dsRNA agent, or a salt thereof, of claim 1 , wherein the antisense strand comprises at least 19 contiguous nucleotides from the nucleotide sequence 5′-AUUAAUCUUUAUCAGGUCUUUUC-3′ of SEQ ID NO: 3.

16 . The dsRNA agent, or a salt thereof, of claim 1 , wherein the sense strand comprises at least 17 contiguous nucleotides from the nucleotide sequence 5′-AAAGACCUGAUAAAGAUUAAU-3′ of SEQ ID NO: 2.

17 . The dsRNA agent of claim 1 , which is in salt form.

18 . The dsRNA agent of claim 1 , which is in sodium salt form.

19 . The dsRNA agent, or a salt thereof, of claim 1 , wherein each strand is independently 19-23 nucleotides in length.

20 . The dsRNA agent, or a salt thereof, of claim 1 , wherein each strand is independently 21-23 nucleotides in length.

21 . The dsRNA agent, or a salt thereof, of claim 1 , wherein the one or more lipophilic moieties moiety is conjugated to the dsRNA agent, or a salt thereof, via a linker containing an ether, thioether, urea, carbonate, amine, amide, maleimide-thioether, disulfide, phosphodiester, sulfonamide linkage, a product of a click reaction, or carbamate.

22 . The dsRNA agent, or a salt thereof, of claim 1 , wherein the lipophilic moiety is conjugated to a nucleobase, sugar moiety, or internucleosidic linkage.

23 . The dsRNA agent, or a salt thereof, of claim 2 , wherein the carrier is a cyclic group selected from the group consisting of pyrrolidinyl, pyrazolinyl, pyrazolidinyl, imidazolinyl, imidazolidinyl, piperidinyl, piperazinyl, [1,3]dioxolanyl, oxazolidinyl, isoxazolidinyl, morpholinyl, thiazolidinyl, isothiazolidinyl, quinoxalinyl, pyridazinonyl, tetrahydrofuranyl, and decalinyl; or is an acyclic moiety based on a serinol backbone or a diethanolamine backbone.

24 . The dsRNA agent, or a salt thereof, of claim 1 , wherein the 3′ end of the sense strand is protected via an end cap which is a cyclic group having an amine, said cyclic group being selected from the group consisting of pyrrolidinyl, pyrazolinyl, pyrazolidinyl, imidazolinyl, imidazolidinyl, piperidinyl, piperazinyl, [1,3]dioxolanyl, oxazolidinyl, isoxazolidinyl, morpholinyl, thiazolidinyl, isothiazolidinyl, quinoxalinyl, pyridazinonyl, tetrahydrofuranyl, and decalinyl.

25 . The dsRNA agent, or a salt thereof, of claim 8 , wherein the phosphate mimic is a 5′-vinyl phosphonate (VP).

Assignments (3)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 1, 2025
From: ALNYLAM PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.; SIRNA THERAPEUTICS, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
Reel/Frame 072996/0337 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 5, 2022
From: FISHILEVICH, ELANE; MILSTEIN, STUART; BROWN, KIRK; ZIMMERMANN, TRACY; MCININCH, JAMES D.
To: ALNYLAM PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
Reel/Frame 060396/0268 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 5, 2022
From: FRENDEWEY, DAVID; CHIAO, ERIC; SHARMA-KANNING, AARTI; GAGLIARDI, ANTHONY; DROGUETT, GUSTAVO; DUBOSE, BRITTANY; ZAMBROWICZ, BRIAN
To: REGENERON PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
Reel/Frame 060396/0330 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation PCTUS2020064159 · Dec 10, 2020
Provisional Application 62947605 · Dec 13, 2019
Provisional Application 62947768 · Dec 13, 2019
Related Publication 20230114649A1 · Apr 13, 2023
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