Gen-Probe licenses HPA technology to Alnylam

By Lisa Kerner

Erie, Pa., March 9 - Gen-Probe Inc. has licensed to Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. non-exclusive rights to use Gen-Probe's hybridization protection assay (HPA) technology in the development of therapeutic RNA interfering (RNAi) molecules, according to a company news release.

Financial terms of the licensing agreement were not disclosed.

"This agreement enables us to generate economic value from our proprietary technologies in an exciting, growing area that is outside our molecular diagnostic focus," vice president of corporate development Martin Edelshain said in the release.

Alnylam develops therapeutics based on RNAi, a naturally occurring mechanism within cells for selectively silencing specific genes that could lead to new disease treatments, the company said.

Gen-Probe's HPA technology detects circulating RNAi molecules using a specific DNA probe labeled with a light-emitting acridinium ester detector molecule, the release stated.

With the HPA technology, researchers can eliminate time-consuming amplification steps, according to the company.

San Diego-based Gen-Probe develops, manufactures and markets nucleic acid tests used to diagnose human diseases and screen donated human blood.

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