Benitec Limited Hepatitis B RNAi Program With Biomics Biotechnologies Moves To The Next Stage Following Successful Stage 1 Results

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Benitec Limited (ASX:BLT) Hepatitis B RNAi Program With Biomics Biotechnologies

Moves To The Next Stage Following Successful Stage 1 Results

Melbourne, Feb 22, 2011 (ABN Newswire) - Benitec Limited (ASX:BLT) (PINK:BNIKF),

a world leader in expressed gene silencing for human therapeutics, is pleased to

announce that following the success of the first stage of its anti-viral program

to develop an RNA interference (RNAi)-based therapy against Hepatitis B virus

(HBV), conducted in collaboration with China-based Biomics Biotechnologies Co.

Ltd, the companies have reached agreement to proceed to the next stage which is

designed to develop an RNAi therapeutic to the point of pre-clinical studies in

vivo.

The overall aim of Benitec's HBV program is to develop a novel and effective

therapeutic option for Hepatitis B, based on Benitec's DNA directed (dd)RNAi

platform technology, to improve the lives and health outcomes for people with

chronic HBV infection and also to reduce its spread. Current therapies have only

limited inhibitory effects on viral gene expression and replication in the

majority of chronically infected patients.

Under the terms of the new agreement, Benitec and Biomics will share the costs

of the program, the ownership of the intellectual property and also

commercialisation rights based on an agreed division of territories.

The first stage of the program commenced in 2010 and was successful in achieving

its aim of identifying several target RNA sequences capable of inhibiting the

replication of the virus. In that stage five thousand clones from the target

viral gene were sequenced and over 500 potential RNA target sequences were

identified. These RNA sequences were randomly distributed along the target gene.

To identify the most effective RNA sequences, a laboratory model of HBV

infection was used. One hundred of the 500 RNA sequences produced 50% or greater

HBV gene knock down, 14 of which resulted in over 70% knock down.

This data provides a solid foundation for the second stage of the program under

which the companies will carry out proof-of-principle studies in vitro and in

vivo to optimise a pre-clinical ddRNAi-based therapeutic candidate. The second

stage is expected to take around 18 months to complete.

" The application of Benitec's ddRNAi technology provides a unique route to

directly targeting the activity of HBV genes with minimum off-target side

effects. Identifying highly effective RNA sequences was the key to Benitec

committing to the next stage of the program, and this was clearly achieved in

stage 1, " Dr French, CEO of Benitec said.

Dr York Zhu, founder and President of Biomics Biotechnologies said, " Hepatitis B

is a significant health issue in China, as well as globally. The stage 1 results

are very exciting and we are delighted to be working with Benitec to help

develop a potentially novel therapeutic for this disease. "

Hepatitis B is a serious and common infectious disease of the liver, affecting

millions of people throughout the world. More than 2,000 million people have

been infected with HBV at some time in their lives and of these about 350

million remain chronically infected and become carriers of the virus. In the USA

alone there are over 1.25 million people living with the consequences of chronic

active HBV and over 60,000 new cases per year.

The severe pathological consequences of persistent HBV infections include the

development of chronic hepatic insufficiency, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. In

addition, HBV carriers can transmit the disease for many years.

" In stage 2 Benitec and Biomics will progress the program towards confirming the

potential of ddRNAi to address the unmet clinical treatment needs for

HBV-infected patients, " Dr French concluded.

About Benitec Limited

Benitec Limited (ASX:BLT) (PINK:BNIKF) holds a dominant position in expressed

RNA interference (RNAi)-based human therapeutics, with a transformational

platform technology supported by a robust and extensive intellectual property

portfolio. Benitec is leveraging this platform to develop and build a pipeline

of expressed RNAi therapeutics focusing on treatment and alleviation of cancer

and infectious disease. With strong global partnerships and committed scientific

and clinical investigators, Benitec Ltd aims to deliver a range of novel

RNAi-based therapeutics to the clinic in partnership with the pharmaceutical

industry.

Contact

Dr French

Chief Executive Officer

Benitec Limited

Tel: +61-412-457-595

Email: pfrench@...

http://www.benitec.com