SEOUL, South Korea, July 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ToolGen, Inc. (KONEX 199800) announced today that on July 26, 2018 the European Patent Office (EPO) issued a Decision to Grant to ToolGen a European patent covering a CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing system adapted for mammalian cells.
CRISPR-Cas9 is a cutting-edge tool for genome editing in human cells, animals, and plants, widely used in biomedical research and biotechnology. CRISPR technology enables targeted genetic modifications in cells and whole organisms, which can lead to development of novel therapies and value-added crops and livestock.
Jongmoon Kim, Chief Executive Officer of ToolGen, commented, “We are committed to developing transformative therapeutics and agricultural products using our CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing system. This patent grant from the EPO begins to lay the groundwork for our intellectual property in Europe and further validates our research efforts. With this patent in hand, we intend to pursue additional IP applications and licensing partnerships worldwide.”
The European patent (number EP 2912175 B1) that was granted is entitled “Composition for cleaving a target DNA comprising a guide RNA specific for the target DNA and Cas Protein-encoding nucleic acid or Cas protein, and use thereof,” and lists ToolGen, Inc. as the applicant.
In addition to Europe, ToolGen is pursuing patent rights worldwide and has issued patents in South Korea and Australia. ToolGen has licensing partners for these patent rights in agriculture and clinical research.
ToolGen has one of the earliest filing dates for the use of CRISPR/Cas9 in mammalian systems, which is significant in first-to-file patent systems such as that of the EPO. ToolGen’s European patent is based on a patent application filed by ToolGen on October 23, 2012, and would cover key European countries including Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and United Kingdom.
The European patent can be opposed by interested parties within nine months of the publication of the decision to grant.
About ToolGen Inc.
ToolGen, Inc. is a biotechnology company focused on the development and application of genome editing technologies. It creates and holds intellectual property rights for essential tools and technologies including CRISPR/Cas9 for editing the genetic information in microbial, plant, animal, and human cells. ToolGen’s mission is to translate the potential of its innovative platform technology into transformative products for biomedicine and agriculture. For more information, please visit www.toolgen.com.
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Company – Seokjoong Kim +82-10-6776-7824
Media – Kirsten Thomas (508) 280-6592
Investors – Tram Bui (646) 536-7035