Rosetta Genomics, Ltd. announced the signing of an agreement with Mirna Therapeutics, for a worldwide sublicense to Rosettas patents related to therapeutic uses of certain microRNA technologies. The agreement includes an exclusive sublicense related to Mirnas MRX34 product candidate, a mimic of naturally occurring microRNA-34 being evaluated in clinical studies for a variety of cancers. Under the terms of the agreement, Rosetta Genomics will receive an upfront payment of $1.6 million from Mirna, and is eligible for low single-digit royalties on product sales and potential milestone payments and sublicense fees.

The sublicensed patents are jointly owned by YEDA Research and Development Company Ltd., the commercial arm of the Weizmann Institute of Science, and Rosetta Genomics. As such, YEDA is entitled to a portion of these and other proceeds Rosetta may receive under the agreement with Mirna.