EXTON, Pa., Jan. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Morphotek(R), Inc. announced today the issuance of United States Patent 6,982,169 covering the use of chemical inhibitors to enhance evolution of target host cell genomes by reversibly regulating mismatch repair (MMR) in vivo. The MMR pathway is a highly conserved process employed by all living organisms to repair mutations that naturally occur during DNA replication. The invention covers the methods used for rendering cells hypermutable by blocking MMR activity with chemical agents.
Dr. Nicholas Nicolaides, President and Chief Executive Officer of Morphotek, commented, “This patent further strengthens Morphotek’s competitive advantage in the field of whole cell genome-based evolution. By introducing these inhibitors to cells and multicellular organisms, genetic variants with novel and useful properties can be generated more rapidly than those resulting from the inherent rate of evolution for a given organism.”
“This is a dominant patent comprised of numerous claims covering chemical- based strategies for blocking MMR,” added Dr. Philip M. Sass, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. “Utilizing a chemical bypasses the need for introducing foreign DNA into a host resulting in rapid inactivation of the MMR process and the generation of genetically diverse offspring. Once the desired output trait is obtained, the chemical is removed and the natural MMR process is restored. This technology enhances our ongoing efforts in the product discovery and development areas and will expedite the generation of a robust pipeline of novel, proprietary therapeutic proteins.”
Morphotek has developed a vast patent estate comprised of more than 50 issued and filed patents worldwide. These patents cover the regulation of MMR in single celled organisms such as bacteria, yeast and mammalian cells as well as in more complex multicellular organisms such as rodents and plants. The Company employs this technology, called morphogenics, to discover and develop novel proteins and antibodies for diagnosing and treating cancer, inflammatory and infectious diseases.
Morphotek, Inc. is a biotechnology company focused on the generation of proprietary proteins for product discovery and development. The Company has a validated and patented platform technology called morphogenics that rapidly enhances the natural process of genetic evolution within a targeted host to yield variants with novel, commercially important output traits. Morphotek markets an antibody development platform called Human MORPHODOMA(R) that employs morphogenics to yield fully human, high-affinity monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) from high-titer hybridoma cells. The platform is also employed as a discovery tool to generate libraries of hybridomas yielding fully-human MAbs for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases in humans. Both platforms bypass the burdensome royalty stacking issues associated with recombinant antibody technologies. Internally, Morphotek employs its technologies to develop its optimized therapeutic antibody pipeline for the treatment of cancer, inflammatory and infectious diseases. For further information visit http://www.morphotek.com.
Contact: Kimberly Ilgenfritz Executive Director, Business Development & Marketing Phone: 610-423-6147 or e-mail: info@morphotek.com
Morphotek, Inc.
CONTACT: Kimberly Ilgenfritz, Executive Director, Business Development &Marketing, Morphotek, Inc., +1-610-423-6147 or e-mail: info@morphotek.com
Web site: http://www.morphotek.com/
