- Patent covers CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing methods and compositions for use in any setting, including human and other eukaryotic cells
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., June 19, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Intellia Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NTLA), a leading genome editing company focused on the development of potentially curative therapeutics using CRISPR technology, today announced that China’s State Intellectual Property Office (“SIPO”) has indicated that it will grant a patent broadly covering CRISPR/Cas9 single-guide gene editing methods and compositions. The patent includes claims covering methods for editing DNA in non-cellular and cellular settings, including in eukaryotic cells such as human and mammalian cells. It also includes CRISPR/Cas9 composition of matter and system claims for use in any setting, including claims covering the use of CRISPR/Cas9 in producing medicines for treating disease.
“SIPO’s decision further expands our IP portfolio, and is further global recognition that Jennifer Doudna, Emmanuelle Charpentier and their team are the pioneers in the application of CRISPR/Cas9 in all cell types,” said Intellia Therapeutics Chief Executive Officer and President, Nessan Bermingham, Ph.D. “Intellia continues to build on preclinical work and to focus on the development of our pipeline of novel human therapeutics that will potentially transform the lives of patients with genetic diseases.”
The European Patent Office and the United Kingdom’s Intellectual Property Office have previously issued patents from the same underlying international patent application. This international patent application is based on the same U.S. priority applications that were filed starting in May 25, 2012 by the Regents of the University of California, the University of Vienna and Dr. Emmanuelle Charpentier (collectively, “the UC Intellectual Property”). Intellia has rights to the UC Intellectual Property, including the European and UK patents, for human therapeutic, prophylactic, and palliative uses (including companion diagnostics), excluding anti-fungal and anti-microbial applications. Intellia obtained these rights through a 2014 license agreement with Caribou Biosciences, Inc., which is the exclusive licensee of the University of California and University of Vienna, two of the co-owners of the intellectual property. In the United States, certain patent claims from the UC Intellectual Property were involved in an interference proceeding with patents and patent applications owned by the Broad Institute et al. before the U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board (“the PTAB”), and the PTAB decision to terminate the interference is currently on appeal at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
About Intellia Therapeutics
Intellia Therapeutics is a leading genome editing company, focused on the development of proprietary, potentially curative therapeutics using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. Intellia believes the CRISPR/Cas9 technology has the potential to transform medicine by permanently editing disease-associated genes in the human body with a single treatment course. Intellia’s combination of deep scientific, technical and clinical development experience, along with its leading intellectual property portfolio, puts it in a unique position to unlock broad therapeutic applications of the CRISPR/Cas9 technology and create a new class of therapeutic products. Learn more about Intellia Therapeutics and CRISPR/Cas9 at intelliatx.com; follow us on Twitter @intelliatweets.
Intellia’s Forward-Looking Statement
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” of Intellia within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward looking statements include, but are not limited to, express or implied statements regarding the intellectual property position and strategy of Intellia’s licensors; and Intellia’s ability to advance CRISPR/Cas9 into therapeutic products for severe and life-threatening diseases and its CRISPR/Cas9 intellectual property portfolio. Any forward-looking statements in this press release are based on management’s current expectations of future events and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks related to Intellia’s ability to protect and maintain its intellectual property position, risks related to the ability of Intellia’s licensors to protect and maintain their intellectual property position, the risk that any one or more of Intellia’s product candidates will not be successfully developed and commercialized, the risk of cessation or delay of any of the ongoing or planned clinical trials and/or development of Intellia’s product candidates, the risk that the results of previously conducted studies involving similar product candidates will not be repeated or observed in ongoing or future studies involving current product candidates, and the risk that Intellia’s collaborations with Novartis or Regeneron will not continue or will not be successful. For a discussion of other risks and uncertainties, and other important factors, any of which could cause Intellia’s actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see the section entitled “Risk Factors” in Intellia’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as discussions of potential risks, uncertainties, and other important factors in Intellia’s subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All information in this press release is as of the date of the release, and Intellia Therapeutics undertakes no duty to update this information unless required by law.
Intellia Therapeutics Jennifer Mound Smoter Senior Vice President, External Affairs & Communications +1 857-706-1071 jenn.smoter@intelliatx.com Graeme Bell Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer +1 857-706-1071 graeme.bell@intelliatx.com
