ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Sept. 24, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gevo, Inc. (Nasdaq:GEVO) today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office ("USPTO") issued an inter partes review decision rejecting the claims of Gevo's U.S. Patent Nos. 8,283,505 (the '505 Patent) and 8,304,588 (the '588 Patent), which cover methods of isobutanol separation and recovery in retrofit ethanol plants. Gevo plans to appeal the decision to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (the Federal Circuit).
The '505 and '588 Patents remain valid and fully enforceable during the appeal process, and Gevo continues to maintain full freedom to operate worldwide. This decision does not impact in any way Gevo's ability to commercialize isobutanol, nor does it impact in any way Gevo's operations at its plant in Luverne, MN. In addition, this decision only affects two of Gevo's nearly 500 patents and applications worldwide.
About Gevo
Gevo is a leading renewable technology, chemical products, and next generation biofuels company. Gevo's underlying technology uses a combination of synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, chemistry and chemical engineering to focus primarily on the production and sale of isobutanol, as well as related products from renewable feedstocks. Gevo's strategy is to commercialize biobased alternatives to petroleum-based products to allow for the optimization of fermentation facilities' assets, with the ultimate goal of maximizing cash flows from the operation of those assets. Gevo produces isobutanol, ethanol and high-value animal feed at its first fermentation plant in Luverne, MN. Gevo has also developed technology to produce hydrocarbon products from renewable alcohols. Gevo currently operates its first biorefinery in Silsbee, TX, in collaboration with South Hampton Resources Inc., to produce renewable jet fuel, octane, and ingredients for plastics like polyester. Gevo has a marquee list of partners including The Coca-Cola Company, Toray Industries Inc., Total SA and LANXESS, Inc., an affiliate of LANXESS Corporation, among others. Gevo is committed to a sustainable bio-based economy that meets society's needs for plentiful food and clean air and water. For more information, visit www.gevo.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include statements that are not purely statements of historical fact, and can sometimes be identified by our use of terms such as "intend," "expect," "plan," "estimate," "future," "strive" and similar words. These forward-looking statements are made on the basis of the current beliefs, expectations and assumptions of the management of Gevo and are subject to significant risks and uncertainty. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. All such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and the company undertakes no obligation to update or revise these statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Although the company believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements involve many risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from what may be expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements. For a further discussion of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to the business of Gevo in general, see the risk disclosures in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Gevo for the year ended December 31, 2013 and in subsequent reports on Form 10-Q and Form 8-K and other filings made with the Securities Exchange Commission by Gevo.