Benitec's technology has broad applicability to all medical conditions where the permanent silencing of specific genes is indicated for treatment. The Company is initially addressing multi-billion dollar market opportunities in hepatitis B, lung cancer and cancer-associated neuropathic pain. The technology is potentially applicable to over 22,000 human genes and a much larger number of genes in disease-causing micro-organisms. Benitec's ddRNAi technology has been clinically tested in a pilot Phase I/II clinical trial on HIV/AIDS-related lymphoma patients and was proven to be safe and feasible. (Science Translational Medicine June 2010)
Benitec holds a dominant worldwide patent position in ddRNAi, which is one of two major approaches to RNA interference. Benitec's ddRNAi technology has several advantages over the alternate siRNA technology, the most significant of which are its long-lived effect and range of proven delivery options. A single dose may result in permanent silencing of the targeted gene and a possible disease cure.
Benitec now either owns or exclusively licenses from Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (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.
In addition to developing therapeutic agents in-house in areas Benitec considers commercially compelling the Company is creating revenue from its proprietary technology by licensing to worldwide reagent suppliers and out-licensing in non-core therapeutic areas.
Founded in 1997, Benitec is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, and has been publicly held since 2001.
