Idera Pharmaceuticals Announces Issuance of Patents Covering its Novel Toll-like Receptor-Targeted Compounds and Their Use

"The claims of these issued patents cover Idera's IMO compositions, the use of IMOs in treating and preventing diseases, and the combination of IMOs with certain monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of cancer," commented Steve Ritter, Ph.D., J.D., Vice President of Intellectual Property and Contracts. "These patents expand the patent protection for TLR-targeted compounds in our pipeline."

The recently issued patents include:

-- US 7,595,305, entitled "Modulation Of Immunostimulatory Properties Of Oligonucleotide-Based Compounds By Utilizing Modified Immunostimulatory Dinucleotides"

-- US 7,569,554, entitled "Synergistic Treatment of Cancer Using Immunomers in Conjunction with Chemotherapeutic Agents"

-- US 7,566,702, entitled "Immunostimulatory Oligonucletide Multimers"

In addition to the issued U.S. patents, patents corresponding to the US 7,569,554 patent were granted to the Company in Guatemala, Latvia, Macedonia, Morocco, New Zealand, and Singapore. The Company was also granted patents entitled "Synergistic Stimulation of the Immune System Using Immunostimulatory Oligonucleotides and/ or Immunomer Compounds in Conjunction with Cytokines and/or Chemotherapeutic Agents or Radiation Therapy" in China (ZL200480026430.5) and India (228,424).

About Idera's Intellectual Property Portfolio

Idera's intellectual property portfolio contains over 500 patents and patent applications worldwide.

Immune Modulatory Oligonucleotides (IMO(R))

This portfolio holds over 280 patents and patent applications worldwide covering Idera's IMO technologies, which includes claims covering novel agonists of Toll-like Receptors (TLRs) 7, 8 and 9 and antagonists of TLRs 7 and 9. These patents and patent applications include claims covering IMO-2055, IMO-2125, IMO-3100, and QAX935.

Antisense Technology

This portfolio holds over 220 patents and patent applications worldwide covering novel antisense compounds and methods of their use. These patents and patent applications include claims covering second-generation antisense chemistry, oral delivery of second-generation antisense compounds, and certain genes, antisense sequences, and therapeutic targets (including various TLRs and signaling molecules).

As of October 2009, the Company has been recognized four times over the past two years by the Patent Board(TM) as one of the top 35 companies in the biotechnology field based on its technology and intellectual property advances. The Patent Board(TM) is an independent group that tracks and analyzes intellectual property and technology assets across 17 industries globally and publishes its results in the Wall Street Journal.

Please visit http://www.iderapharma.com/science/intellectual_property.php for more information about Idera's intellectual property portfolio.

About Idera Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Idera Pharmaceuticals develops drug candidates to treat infectious diseases, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, cancer, and respiratory diseases, and for use as vaccine adjuvants. Our proprietary drug candidates are designed to modulate specific Toll-like Receptors, which are a family of immune system receptors that direct immune system responses. Our pioneering DNA and RNA chemistry expertise enables us to create drug candidates for internal development and generates opportunities for multiple collaborative alliances. For more information, visit www.iderapharma.com.

Idera Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning Idera Pharmaceuticals, Inc., which involve a number of risks and uncertainties. For this purpose, any statements contained herein that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Without limiting the foregoing, the words "believes," "anticipates," "plans," "expects," "estimates," "intends," "should," "could," "will," "may," and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. There are a number of important factors that could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements, including whether products based on the Company's technology will advance into or through the clinical trial process on a timely basis or at all and receive approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration or equivalent foreign regulatory agencies; whether, if the Company's products receive approval, they will be successfully distributed and marketed; whether the Company's collaborators will support the development and commercialization of products under their collaborations with the Company; whether the patents and patent applications owned or licensed by the Company such as the patents and patent applications referenced above will protect the Company's technology and prevent others from infringing it; whether the Company's cash resources will be sufficient to fund the Company's operations; and such other important factors as are set forth under the caption "Risk Factors" in the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended June 30, 2009, which important factors are incorporated herein by reference. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

SOURCE: Idera Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Idera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 
Kelly Luethje, 617-679-5519 
kluethje@iderapharma.com 
or 
MacDougall Biomedical Communications 
Chris Erdman, 781-235-3060 
cerdman@macbiocom.com