Dicerna Responds to Alnylam Complaint

Dicerna Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:DRNA) today responded to a complaint filed yesterday by Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in the Superior Court of Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Dicerna believes the complaint is meritless and that Alnylam precipitously filed its lawsuit based on assumptions rather than facts. Dicerna intends to vigorously defend all of the claims.

“Dicerna’s technology is built firmly on its own research and innovation,” noted Douglas Fambrough, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Dicerna, “Dicerna focuses on serious, life-threatening diseases involving the liver and genetically defined cancers for which patients have few or no treatment options available. Our RNAi-based therapeutics utilize our proprietary RNAi technologies, and not prior Merck research. We stand behind these technologies, and the company's record and practices for respecting IP rights, in order to develop and deliver life-changing therapies as efficiently as possible.”

Earlier this year Alnylam indicated it was concerned about unspecified aspects of Dicerna’s GalNAc delivery technologies. Dicerna then conducted a thorough investigation and confirmed that there has been no use of Merck/Alnylam confidential information at the company. Dicerna communicated the results of its investigation to Alnylam (one of many facts omitted from the complaint). Likewise, Dicerna communicated to Alnylam facts demonstrating that many of the insinuations in the Alnylam complaint are simply false, and others are unfounded speculation.

About Dicerna Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Dicerna is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative treatments for rare inherited diseases involving the liver and for cancers that are genetically defined. The Company seeks to use its proprietary RNA interference technology platform to build a broad pipeline in these therapeutic areas. In both rare diseases and oncology, Dicerna is pursuing targets that have historically been difficult to inhibit using conventional approaches, but where connections between targets and diseases are well understood and documented. The Company intends to discover, develop and commercialize novel therapeutics either on its own or in collaboration with pharmaceutical partners. For more information, please visit www.dicerna.com.

Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. While Dicerna believes the Alnylam complaint is meritless, litigation is inherently uncertain and often expensive and time-consuming. An adverse decision could potentially impede the full use of Dicerna’s GalNAc delivery technologies or could potentially result in a damages award against Dicerna. Applicable risks and uncertainties include those relating to our preclinical research and clinical development and other risks identified under the heading "Risk Factors" included in our most recent Form 10-Q filing and in other future filings with the SEC. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release reflect Dicerna's current views with respect to future events, and Dicerna does not undertake and specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

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