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The Directors of Benitec Ltd (BLT), a world leader in RNA- based gene silencing for human therapeutics, are pleased to announce that further significant progress has been made in its global patent estate. In Europe, the European Patent Office has issued a certificate of grant on one of Benitec and CSIRO’s key platform patents in the “Graham” patent family, entitled Control of Gene Expression.

“Europe is a major strategic jurisdiction for human therapeutics, and it is very pleasing to add this patent to Benitec’s already extensive portfolio which already includes patents in all other key jurisdictions”, said Dr Peter French, Benitec’s Chief Executive Officer. He went on to say, “The grant of the EP patent represents further significant validation of this technology in key markets”. The patent, which is owned by CSIRO and for which Benitec is the exclusive licensee in the human therapeutics field, includes claims to a synthetic gene which can reduce the expression of a target gene. The synthetic gene comprises multiple copies of a nucleotide sequence of greater than 20 nucleotides, which is substantially identical to the nucleotide sequence of a target gene. In the United States, three further patent applications have been allowed or granted which complement Benitec’s existing focus on hepatitis viral therapies.

These patents derive from applications in the Graham patent family for which Benitec is the exclusive licensee in the human therapeutics field. Grant of these patents by the USPTO underlines Benitec’s exclusive position in this foundational patent family for expressed RNAi as human therapeutics. This technology, which was originally developed with researchers at Stanford University, represents an important tool for silencing genes in the liver, such as in treatment of viral hepatitis.

Benitec Limited is developing novel treatments for chronic and life-threatening conditions based on gene silencing using a transformational technology; DNA-directed RNA interference (ddRNAi) – sometimes called expressed RNAi. The technology’s potential to address unmet medical needs and to cure disease results from its demonstrated ability to permanently silence genes which cause the condition. Benitec now either owns or exclusively licences from CSIRO more than 40 granted or allowed patents in the field of RNA interference for human therapeutic applications. Patents have been granted in key territories such as the USA, the UK, Japan, Europe, Canada and Australia. In addition, Benitec has almost 50 patent applications pending for which it is the owner or exclusive licensee from CSIRO, and has further intellectual property under development as a result of its pipeline program.

www.benitec.com

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