PORTON DOWN, England, June 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Enigma Diagnostics Limited, the decentralised and point-of-care molecular diagnostics company, announced today it was issued European Patent EP1044283, which covers the use of endonuclease-based reporting in PCR and other nucleic acid amplification technologies. Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) had filed a claim in opposition to this patent which was rejected by the European Patent Office at a proceeding in Munich on May 28.
The patent is part of a substantial portfolio of intellectual property exclusively licensed to Enigma Diagnostics by the Secretary of State for Defence. The technology involves the use of a thermostable endonuclease to cut a probe that recognises a specific sequence in the target amplification product. The system may be applied to a wide variety of molecular diagnostic applications including the rapid detection of viral and bacterial pathogens.
Enigma Diagnostics has developed products that completely automate the PCR process including sample extraction, amplification and analysis for application at the point-of-care by non-laboratory operators.
John McKinley, CEO of Enigma Diagnostics, stated: “The maintenance of this key patent secures and supports the further development of Enigma’s intellectual property portfolio.”
Contacts
UK Contact: Enigma Diagnostics Deborah Cordingley deborah.cordingley@enigmadiagnostics.com +44 1980 590131
US Contact: Richard Lewis Communications, Inc. 212-827-0020 Gregory Tiberend - Media gtiberend@rlcinc.com Cecelia Heer - Investors cheer@rlcinc.com
About Enigma Diagnostics Limited
Enigma Diagnostics Limited is a private UK based company specialising in developing the next generation of rapid molecular diagnostic instrument platforms for decentralised and point-of-care settings.
Enigma’s innovative and proprietary technology combines the speed and sensitivity of real-time PCR (polymerase chain reaction) with the simplicity needed for field-based, decentralised and point-of-care tests providing results from a raw sample in less than 45 minutes.
The Company is targeting a number of multi-billion pound markets, core among which are the Clinical and high value Applied Markets. Enigma’s commercialisation strategy is to maximise revenues from a continuous flow of market leading rapid diagnostic point-of-care and in-field instrument and assay platforms, derived from its broad Intellectual Property portfolio of issued and filed patents. Enigma will partner with market leaders where global penetration of markets is required and where appropriate will build an in-house sales and marketing capability to direct distribution of its products.
Enigma has an exclusive licence from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory to a portfolio of patents, which represent over 15 years of UK Ministry of Defence funded research and has licences from Applied Biosystems and Celera Licences for the commercialisation of real-time PCR instruments. Enigma’s R&D activities have generated a portfolio of over 50 plus worldwide patent families dedicated to real-time PCR and wider molecular technologies. Many of these patents are granted across a range of core commercial territories including US, EU and Japan with more extensive filing and grants across a number of other key territories.
For more information visit www.enigmadiagnostics.com
