By Jason Derry —

Sigma-Aldrich has announced that it has agreed to give Pfizer a
non-exclusive, worldwide license to use DNA-directed RNAi (ddRNAi) for research
purposes.  Sigma-Aldrich has an exclusive
license to the ddRNAi technology (excluding the right to develop ddRNAi for
therapeutic use in humans) from Benitec Ltd. and Australia's CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and
Industrial Research Organization).

Benitec is an Australian biotechnology company that
focuses on DNA-directed gene silencing. According to its website, Benitec has 10 issued patents relating to
ddRNAi.  Benitec's first ddRNAi patent in
the U.S. is 6,573,099.

Jason Derry, Ph.D., who graduated with honors from DePaul University
College of Law, is a molecular biologist and founding author of Patent Docs.