Non-Assert for Tuschl I siRNA patent applications

In order to facilitate widespread distribution of an important class of research reagents, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Max Planck Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Wissenschaften e.V., The Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, and The University of Massachusetts ("the Patent Owners") now announce that they will not assert the patents listed below against companies that sell or use DNA vectors which induce production of siRNA endogenously, provided that such vectors are only used for research purposes, and provided that the RNA that mediates RNA interference is not isolated from the transformed cells. The Patent Owners intend to enforce the patents listed below against any use not specifically listed above.

The patents included in this announcement are listed below. Further continuations, divisionals, issued patents and reissuances are included as well.

"RNA Sequence-Specific Mediators Of RNA Interference"
by David P. Bartel, Phillip A. Sharp, Thomas Tuschl and Phillip D. Zamore

• Australia Serial No. 2001249622, Filed March 30, 2001
• Brazil Serial No. P10107536-5, Filed March 30, 2001
• Canada Serial No. 2404890, Filed March 30, 2001
• European Patent Convention Serial No. 01922870.9, Filed March 30, 2001
• Israel Serial No. 151928, Filed March 30, 2001
• Japan Serial No. 2001-573036, Filed March 30, 2001
• Korea (south) Serial No. 200270123832, Filed March 30, 2001
• New Zealand Serial No. 522045, Filed March 30, 2001
• Patent Convention Treaty Serial No. US01/10188, Filed March 30, 2001

• United States of America Serial No. 09/821,832, Filed March 30, 2001
• United States of America Serial No. 10/255,568, Filed September 26, 2002

Non-Assert for Tuschl II siRNA patent applications

In order to facilitate widespread distribution of an important class of research reagents, Max Planck Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Wissenschaften e.V. (“MPG”) announces that it will not assert the patents listed below against companies that sell or use DNA vectors which induce production of siRNA endogenously, provided that such vectors are only used for research purposes, and provided that the RNA that mediates RNA interference is not isolated from the transformed cells. The MPG intends to enforce the patents listed below against any use not specifically listed above.

The patents included in this announcement are listed below. Further continuations, divisionals, issued patents and reissuances are included as well.

European Serial Number EP 00126325 entitled "RNA Interference Mediating Small RNA Molecules" by Thomas Tuschl, Sayda Elbashir and Winfried Lendeckel, filed on December 1, 2000.

Patent Convention Treaty Serial No. PCT/EP01/13968 entitled “RNA Interference Mediating Small RNA Molecules” filed on November 29, 2001, and all national applications derived from this PCT-application within the scope of claims 1-29 (corresponding to the subject matter of the above EP-application).