SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE 1 (SOD1) iRNA COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF FOR TREATING OR PREVENTING SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE 1- (SOD1-) ASSOCIATED NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES

1 . A double stranded ribonucleic acid (dsRNA) agent, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, comprising a sense strand and an antisense strand forming a double stranded region, wherein

a) the nucleotide sequence of the sense strand differs by no more than 4 bases from the nucleotide sequence 5′-csascuu(Uhd)aaUfCfCfucuauccasgsa-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 11) and the nucleotide sequence of the antisense strand differs by no more than 4 bases from the nucleotide sequence 5′-VPusdCsugdGadTagagdGaUfuaaagugsasg-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 12);

b) the nucleotide sequence of the sense strand differs by no more than 4 bases from the nucleotide sequence 5′-csasggu(Chd)cuCfAfCfuuuaauccsusa-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 13) and the nucleotide sequence of the antisense strand differs by no more than 4 bases from the nucleotide sequence 5′-VPusdAsggdAudTaaagdTgAfggaccugscsg-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 14);

c) the nucleotide sequence of the sense strand differs by no more than 4 bases from the nucleotide sequence 5′-ususcgag(Chd)aGfAfAfggaaaguasasa-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 15) and the nucleotide sequence of the antisense strand differs by no more than 4 bases from the nucleotide sequence 5′-VPusUfsuadCu(Tgn)uccuucUfgCfucgaasasu-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 16);

d) the nucleotide sequence of the sense strand differs by no more than 4 bases from the nucleotide sequence 5′-gsasaag(Uhd)aaUfGfGfaccagugasasa-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 17) and the nucleotide sequence of the antisense strand differs by no more than 4 bases from the nucleotide sequence 5′-VPusUfsucdAc(Tgn)gguccaUfuAfcuuucscsu-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 18);

e) the nucleotide sequence of the sense strand differs by no more than 4 bases from the nucleotide sequence 5′-asgsga(Uhd)gaaGfAfGfaggcaugususa-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 19) and the nucleotide sequence of the antisense strand differs by no more than 4 bases from the nucleotide sequence 5′-VPusAfsacdAu(G2p)ccucucUfuCfauccususu-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 20);

f) the nucleotide sequence of the sense strand differs by no more than 4 bases from the nucleotide sequence 5′-asasgga(Ahd)agUfAfAfuggaccagsusa-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 21) and the nucleotide sequence of the antisense strand differs by no more than 4 bases from the nucleotide sequence 5′-VPusdAscudGg(Tgn)ccaudTaCfuuuccuuscsu-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 22);

g) the nucleotide sequence of the sense strand differs by no more than 4 bases from the nucleotide sequence 5′-asuscaa(Uhd)uuCfGfAfgcagaaggsasa-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 23) and the nucleotide sequence of the antisense strand differs by no more than 4 bases from the nucleotide sequence 5′-VPusUfsccdTu(C2p)ugcucgAfaAfuugausgsg-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 24);

h) the nucleotide sequence of the sense strand differs by no more than 4 bases from the nucleotide sequence 5′-cscsuca(Chd)uuUfAfAfuccucuauscsa-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 25) and the nucleotide sequence of the antisense strand differs by no more than 4 bases from the nucleotide sequence 5′-VPusdGsaudAg(Agn)ggaudTaAfagugaggsasc-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 26);

i) the nucleotide sequence of the sense strand differs by no more than 4 bases from the nucleotide sequence 5′-asasgga(Uhd)gaAfGfAfgaggcaugsusa-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 27) and the nucleotide sequence of the antisense strand differs by no more than 4 bases from the nucleotide sequence 5′-VPusAfscadTg(C2p)cucucuUfcAfuccuususg-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 28); or

j) the nucleotide sequence of the sense strand differs by no more than 4 bases from the nucleotide sequence 5′-asasuuu(Chd)gaGfCfAfgaaggaaasgsa-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 29) and the nucleotide sequence of the antisense strand differs by no more than 4 bases from the nucleotide sequence 5′-VPusCfsuudTc(C2p)uucugcUfcGfaaauusgsg-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 30),

wherein

VP is a 5′-vinyl phosphonate;

(Ahd) is 2′-O-hexadecyl-adenosine-3′-phosphate;

(Chd) is 2′-O-hexadecyl-cytidine-3′-phosphate;

(Uhd) is 2′-O-hexadecyl-uridine-3′-phosphate;

(Agn) is adenosine-glycol nucleic acid (GNA), S-isomer;

(Tgn) is thymidine-glycol nucleic acid (GNA), S-Isomer;

(C2p) is cytidine-2′-phosphate;

(G2p) is guanosine-2′-phosphate;

s is a phosphorothioate linkage;

a, g, c and u are 2′-O-methyl (2′-OMe) A, G, C, and U;

dA, dC, dG, and dT are 2′-deoxy A, C, G, and T; and

Af, Cf, Gf, and Uf are 2′-deoxy-2′-fluoro (2′-F) A, C, G, and U.

2 .- 6 . (canceled)

7 . The dsRNA agent of claim 1 that is a sodium salt.

8 . A double stranded ribonucleic acid (dsRNA) agent for inhibiting expression of superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), wherein the dsRNA agent comprises a sense strand and an antisense strand forming a double stranded region, wherein the sense strand comprises at least 15 contiguous nucleotides from any one of the nucleotide sequences of nucleotides 201-223, 204-226, 207-229, 216-238, 219-241, 328-350, 333-355, 336-358, 372-394, or 373-395 of SEQ ID NO: 1, and the antisense strand comprises at least 15 contiguous nucleotides from the corresponding nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2, wherein

(i) the dsRNA agent comprises at least one modified nucleotide,

(ii) the double stranded region is 15-30 nucleotide pairs in length, and

(iii) the sense strand or the antisense strand is conjugated to one or more lipophilic moieties.

9 .- 15 . (canceled)

16 . The dsRNA agent of claim 8 , wherein all of the nucleotides of the sense strand and all of the nucleotides of the antisense strand comprise a nucleotide modification.

17 . The dsRNA agent of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the nucleotide modifications is selected from the group a deoxy-nucleotide, a 3′-terminal deoxythimidine (dT) nucleotide, a 2′-O-methyl modified nucleotide, a 2′-fluoro modified nucleotide, a 2′-deoxy-modified nucleotide, a 2′-5′-linked ribonucleotide (3′-RNA), a locked nucleotide, an unlocked nucleotide, a conformationally restricted nucleotide, a constrained ethyl nucleotide, an abasic nucleotide, a 2′-amino-modified nucleotide, a 2′-O-allyl-modified nucleotide, 2′-C-alkyl-modified nucleotide, a 2′-methoxyethyl modified nucleotide, a 2′-O-alkyl-modified nucleotide, a morpholino nucleotide, a phosphoramidate, a non-natural base comprising nucleotide, a tetrahydropyran modified nucleotide, a 1,5-anhydrohexitol modified nucleotide, a cyclohexenyl modified nucleotide, a nucleotide comprising a 5′-phosphorothioate group, a nucleotide comprising a 5′-methylphosphonate group, a nucleotide comprising a 5′ phosphate or 5′ phosphate mimic, a nucleotide comprising vinyl phosphonate, a glycol nucleic acid (GNA), a glycol nucleic acid S-Isomer (S-GNA), a nucleotide comprising 2-hydroxymethyl-tetrahydrofuran-5-phosphate, a nucleotide comprising 2′-deoxythymidine-3′phosphate, a nucleotide comprising 2′-deoxyguanosine-3′-phosphate, and a terminal nucleotide linked to a cholesteryl derivative and a dodecanoic acid bisdecylamide group; and combinations thereof.

18 . (canceled)

19 . (canceled)

20 . The dsRNA agent of claim 8 , further comprising at least one phosphorothioate internucleotide linkage.

21 . (canceled)

22 . The dsRNA agent of claim 8 , wherein at least one strand comprises a 3′ overhang of at least 1 nucleotide; or a 3′ overhang of 2 nucleotides.

23 . (canceled)

24 . The dsRNA agent of claim 8 , wherein the double stranded region is 17-23 nucleotide pairs in length.

25 . (canceled)

26 . (canceled)

27 . The dsRNA agent of claim 8 , wherein each strand is 19-30 nucleotides in length.

28 . The dsRNA agent of claim 8 , wherein the one or more lipophilic moieties are conjugated to one or more internal positions on at least one strand.

29 . The dsRNA agent of claim 28 , wherein one lipophilic moiety is conjugated an internal position selected from the group consisting of positions 4-8 and 13-18 on the sense strand, and positions 6-10 and 15-18 on the antisense strand, counting from the 5′end of each strand.

30 .- 33 . (canceled)

34 . The dsRNA agent of claim 28 , wherein the lipophilic moiety contains a saturated or unsaturated C4-C30 hydrocarbon chain, and an optional functional group selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl, amine, carboxylic acid, sulfonate, phosphate, thiol, azide, and alkyne.

35 .- 37 . (canceled)

38 . The dsRNA agent of claim 8 , wherein the agent further comprises a phosphate or phosphate mimic at the 5′-end of the antisense strand.

39 .- 42 . (canceled)

43 . An isolated cell containing the dsRNA agent of claim 1 .

44 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising the dsRNA agent of a claim 1 and a pharmaceutically acceptable diluent.

45 . A method of inhibiting expression of a SOD1 gene in a cell, the method comprising:

(a) contacting the cell with the dsRNA agent of claim 1 ; and

(b) maintaining the cell produced in step (a) for a time sufficient to obtain degradation of the mRNA transcript of the SOD1 gene, thereby inhibiting expression of the SOD1 gene in the cell.

46 .- 48 . (canceled)

49 . A method of treating a subject diagnosed with an SOD1-associated neurodegenerative disease, the method comprising administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of the dsRNA agent of claim 1 , thereby treating the subject.

50 .- 53 . (canceled)

54 . The method of claim 49 , wherein the subject is human.

55 . (canceled)

56 . The method of claim 49 , wherein the SOD1-associated neurodegenerative disease is selected from the group consisting of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and Down's syndrome (DS).

57 . The method of claim 49 , wherein the dsRNA agent is administered to the subject intrathecally or intracerebroventricularly.