Techulon, Inc. Secures Exclusive Rights for New Transfection Reagent From University of Cincinnati

BLACKSBURG, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Techulon, Inc., a life sciences company, announced today that it has signed worldwide exclusive license agreements with the University of Cincinnati to manufacture and sell novel transfection reagents used for research and therapeutic delivery of nucleic acids. The licenses cover a family of new molecules described in two patent applications filed by the University and invented by Dr. Theresa M. Reineke while she was a faculty member there. Marketed under the name of Glycofect Transfection Reagent, the new polymer-based formulations demonstrate unparalleled efficacy for delivering plasmid DNA and oligodeoxynucleotides with low cytotoxicity into the nucleus, promoting exceptional gene expression in numerous cell lines and primary cell types. Transfection reagents are used in biotech and medical laboratories to deliver genetic materials into a variety of cell types for health-related research and drug development. These materials currently have varying success due to issues such as low number of transfected cells, high toxicity, and cell death. In contrast to commonly used lipid-based transfection reagents that dominate a growing $100 million market, Techulon’s products are based on novel carbohydrate polymer structures invented by Reineke, now an associate professor of chemistry at Virginia Tech. “This new class of polymers can deliver DNA research reagents and therapeutics into a high number of cells and tissues types without causing damage or death to the cell,” Reineke said. “After cellular delivery, the glycopolymers degrade and release their DNA cargo to perform its biological function without toxic side effects.” Dr. Joshua Bryson, Principal Scientist at Techulon, adds “The exceptional delivery, high gene expression, and low toxicity of Glycofect are particularly evident in primary cells. This is of great benefit to biological and medical research because current transfection reagents do not work well with primary cells and these cell types are very costly and difficult to obtain."