CEGE..." Maybe 27 today"....
PR NewsWire Cell Genesys Issued Additional Patent for AAV Gene Therapy Technology
Over 80 Patent Filings for AAV Gene Therapy
FOSTER CITY, Calif., May 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Cell Genesys, Inc.
(Nasdaq: CEGE) today announced that it has been issued a new United States
Patent (No. 6,057,152) with claims for specific compositions and methods of
adeno-associated viral (AAV) gene delivery technology. Cell Genesys' AAV
patent portfolio now includes more than 80 issued or granted patents and
patent applications including a broad patent (U.S. Patent No. 5,753,500)
issued in 1998 covering all gene therapy products that utilize AAV vectors to
deliver genes.
"This patent further broadens our intellectual property position in the
AAV gene therapy area," stated Stephen A. Sherwin, M.D., chairman and chief
executive officer of Cell Genesys. "We have previously reported positive
results using AAV gene therapy in animal studies for hemophilia and
Parkinson's disease and expect to initiate human clinical trials of
AAV-mediated gene therapy for hemophilia in 2001."
Cell Genesys has demonstrated successful gene delivery using AAV vectors
in multiple preclinical studies. The AAV vector inserts a therapeutic gene
into the DNA of the patient's cells, thereby allowing a potentially permanent
genetic correction. A single administration of AAV-mediated gene therapy
could therefore potentially eliminate the need for repetitive treatment
regimens. In the Cell Genesys hemophilia program, an 85 percent reduction in
bleeding episodes in a canine model of hemophilia B was achieved with a single
administration of AAV-factor IX gene therapy. Additionally, 24 months after
the single injection, the treated animals continued to produce the factor IX
protein which was deficient in these animals prior to treatment. In
preclinical studies in Parkinson's disease, a single gene therapy treatment in
mice with Parkinson's-like symptoms resulted in the elimination of daily
L-dopa treatments for at least one year, which was the duration of the study.
Additionally, the AAV vector has been shown to integrate into liver cells,
skin cells, muscle cells and nerve cells providing the opportunity for other
potential therapeutic applications.
Cell Genesys has four vector systems from which to choose including AAV,
lentiviral, adenoviral and retroviral vectors. The choice of vector depends
upon such considerations as the disease indication, production efficiencies
and the size of the gene. For example, in Cell Genesys' preclinical gene
therapy program for hemophilia A, the company has the option to utilize either
its proprietary lentiviral vector system, which has the capacity to carry the
entire factor VIII gene, or its proprietary AAV vector system if a shorter
form of the gene can be successfully applied. Hemophilia A is the more common
type of hemophilia as compared with hemophilia B and results from an inherited
deficiency in factor VIII, an essential blood clotting factor.
Cell Genesys currently has one of the largest patent portfolios in the
gene therapy field including more than 230 issued or granted patents and over
320 pending patent applications. The portfolio includes issued or granted
patents for multiple gene delivery systems, specific therapeutic genes and
gene therapy applications and multiple genetically modified cell types used in
gene therapy independent of the gene delivery system or therapeutic gene.
Cell Genesys is focused on the development and commercialization of gene
therapies to treat cancer and other major, life-threatening diseases. The
company is conducting two multicenter Phase II human clinical trials for its
GVAX(R) cancer vaccine in prostate cancer and a multicenter Phase I/II trial
of GVAX(R) vaccine in lung cancer. Preclinical stage programs include gene
therapy for hemophilia, cancer, cardiovascular disorders and Parkinson's
disease. Cell Genesys' assets outside gene therapy include approximately
12 percent ownership of its former subsidiary, Abgenix, Inc., and the
company's licensing program in gene activation technology. For additional
information, please visit the company's web site at www.cellgenesys.com.
Statements made herein, other than statements of historical fact,
including statements about the company's progress and results of preclinical
studies, clinical trials, marketability of potential products and nature of
product pipelines, corporate partnerships, licenses and intellectual property
including that pertaining to AAV and other gene delivery technologies and the
company's patent portfolio are forward-looking statements and are subject to a
number of uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially
from the statements made, including risks associated with the success of
research and development programs, results achieved in future preclinical
studies and clinical trials, the regulatory approval process, competitive
technologies and products, the scope and validity of patents, corporate
partnerships and additional financings. For information about these and other
risks which may affect Cell Genesys, please see the company's Annual Report on
Form 10-K dated March 30, 2000 as well as Cell Genesys' reports on Form 10-Q
and 8-K and other reports filed from time to time with the Securities and
Exchange Commission.
CONTACT: Jennifer Cook Williams, Manager, Corporate Communications of
Cell Genesys, Inc., 650-425-4542
SOURCE Cell Genesys, Inc.
-0- 05/09/2000
/CONTACT: Jennifer Cook Williams, Manager, Corporate Communications of
Cell Genesys, Inc., 650-425-4542/
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