Thalia Therapeutics (LSE:THAT) announced that China has granted a patent covering miRisten, its anti-microRNA-126 therapy for acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), adding the world's most populous market to its existing intellectual property footprint.
The patent protects the exclusive licence Thalia holds, via its Sanmirna Therapeutics subsidiary, from City of Hope, the US cancer research institute where miRisten is being tested in a Phase 1 dose-escalation trial for relapsed or refractory AML.
Thalia acquired Sanmirna and its miRisten programme in July, positioning the deal as its transition from a preclinical RNA delivery developer into a clinical-stage therapeutics company; the acquisition carries deferred milestone payments of up to £12m tied to trial completion, later-stage dosing and regulatory approvals.
"Strengthening the intellectual property supporting our lead clinical programme is an important part of its development as we work towards the next clinical milestones," said chief executive Dr David Solomon.
Thalia estimates roughly 30,400 new AML diagnoses in China in 2026, though miRisten targets only the smaller relapsed or refractory subset of that population.
Patient enrolment in the Phase 1 trial is temporarily paused while the current cohort progresses, with the company continuing to target topline data in the first half of 2027.