Internet Wire (Jul 19, 11:35 AM) CAMBRIDGE, MA --
(INTERNET WIRE) -- 07/19/2002 -- Genitrix, LLC announced
today that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued
U.S. Patent No. 6,403,080, “Methods of Modulating an Immune
Response to Antigen, and Cells for Use in the Method”. The
patent broadly covers Genitrix’s enabling platform
technologies for therapeutic, cell-based cancer vaccines.
These technologies provide practical, product-based
alternatives to gene therapy for the production of such
vaccines.
The coverage afforded by this patent encompasses, among
other things, immunization with vaccines based on Genitrix’s
“Opsonokine(TM)“ product platform. Opsonokines(TM) are
genetically engineered cytokines that, when mixed with tumor
cells, automatically attach to the surface of the cells.
When the “decorated” cells are administered as a vaccine,
the cytokine on the cells activates critical “antigen
presenting cells” in the recipient, while also allowing the
antigen presenting cells to ingest the tumor cells. The
antigen presenting cells are then able to instruct “killer”
T cells to find and destroy similar tumor cells throughout
the body. Thus, the Opsonokine(TM) product converts the
tumor cells into a potent anti-tumor immunotherapeutic.
“This patent, along with our other issued and pending
patents, consolidates our pivotal position in the area of
cell-based cancer vaccines,” said Andrew H. Segal, M.D.,
Chief Executive Officer of Genitrix. “It also highlights the
Company’s role as a leading innovator in this rapidly
advancing field.”
“The Opsonokine(TM) platform is particularly powerful
because it can be applied to any cell-based vaccine,”
continued Segal. “We look forward to improving the
performance of other companies’ cell-based vaccines through
strategic alliances, while also developing our own
immunotherapeutic products.”
Cell-based vaccines consist of whole cells, such as
cancer cells. Such vaccines have attracted widespread
interest because they alleviate the need to identify those
specific molecules (antigens) in a cell that can be
recognized by the immune system. Cell-based vaccines can be
either custom-made from a patient’s own tumor cells (“autologous”)
or mass-produced from tumor cell lines (“allogeneic”).
Genitrix’s technologies may be applied to both autologous
and allogeneic vaccines.
The issued patent, which is assigned to the Whitehead
Institute for Biomedical Research, is licensed to Genitrix
on an exclusive basis.
Genitrix, LLC, a privately held biotechnology company
headquartered in Cambridge, MA, is developing innovative
immunotherapeutic products based on its powerful platform
technologies. These technologies overcome the
“immunogenicity barrier”, a major obstacle to product
development, by targeting the body's critical "antigen
presenting cells". The Company is particularly focused on
applying its core technologies to the worldwide human cancer
therapeutics market, and also plans to leverage them across
other robust markets, such as those arising from autoimmune
diseases and infectious diseases.
Except for historical information contained in this
release, the matters discussed are forward-looking
statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Such
forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs of
Genitrix's management, as well as assumptions made by and
information currently available to the Genitrix's
management. Among the factors that could cause actual
results to differ materially are the following: the effect
of business and economic conditions; the impact of
competitive products and pricing; capacity and supply
constraints or difficulties; product development,
commercialization or technological difficulties; the
regulatory and trade environment; intellectual property
conflicts and disputes; and many other risk factors.
Genitrix and its management undertake no obligation to
revise any forward-looking statements as a result of future
events or developments.
Contact: Andrew H. Segal
Company: Genitrix, LLC
Title: M.D., CEO
Phone: 617-441-8765
Email: segal@genitrix.com
