Biotech Values

[urche]

RNA interference, ALNY

It is hard to care. I tried, but failed to understand this legal agreement. Indeed, even before this "resolution" I couldn't understand the claims of MIT or why anyone thought they could claim anyone other than Tuschl/Max Planck could lay claim to the IP regarding "3’ overhangs in RNAi triggers and the discovery of efficient RNAi gene silencing in mammalian cells using short double-stranded RNAs ".

Without deal detail I can't even tell if there any winners and losers. I would think it would be favorable to ALNY just to have its IP cleared----removing the overhang on the 3' overhang issue. MRK continues to be hard pressed to show it got $1+B value from its Sirna acquisition.

Interest in RNAi companies remains very low these days and today's news that Tekmira is suing ALNY adds to the unsavoriness of the field.

Urche (still holding small amounts of ALNY and TKM)