Geron Announces Ruling From European Patent Office
June 15, 2006 09:00:10 (ET)
MENLO PARK, Calif., Jun 15, 2006 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Geron Corporation (GERN, Trade) announced today a ruling at a hearing before the Opposition Division of the European Patent Office on claims in its granted European Patent No. EP 0 841 396. The patent is directed to the cloned human telomerase gene and its uses. Pharmexa had filed an opposition to the patent, seeking revocation of all 47 claims in the patent. The ruling maintained 44 of the claims and canceled three.
The three canceled claims pertain to immunogenic peptides of telomerase useful as vaccines. While claims to telomerase peptide vaccine are neither relevant to Geron's anti-cancer vaccine in clinical trials, nor relate to the vaccine platforms being utilized by Geron's licensee, Merck & Co., Inc., they are relevant to a peptide vaccine product being developed by Pharmexa.
"While were are pleased that the majority of the claims were maintained, we are disappointed that the Opposition Division found problems with the three peptide vaccine claims and will appeal the decision on those claims," noted David J. Earp, J.D., Ph.D., Geron's Chief Patent Counsel. "We will also pursue other claims to provide protection for immunogenic peptides of telomerase in a divisional European patent application. Our purpose is to obtain, on an expedited basis, a grant of claims that both avoid the issues raised in the opposition and cover the peptide vaccine being developed by Pharmexa. We are committed to protecting our commercialization opportunities in telomerase, predicated on a broad telomerase patent estate that includes more than 90 issued U.S. patents and 130 granted patents in other countries."
Geron is a Menlo Park, Calif.-based biopharmaceutical company developing and commercializing three groups of products: i) therapeutic products for oncology that target telomerase; ii) pharmaceuticals that activate telomerase in tissues impacted by senescence, injury or degenerative disease; and iii) cell-based therapies derived from its human embryonic stem cell platform for applications in multiple chronic diseases. For more information, visit www.geron.com.
This news release may contain forward-looking statements made pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements in this press release regarding potential applications of Geron's telomerase technology constitute forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, risks inherent in the development and commercialization of potential products, uncertainty of clinical trial results or regulatory approvals or clearances, need for future capital, dependence upon collaborators and maintenance of our intellectual property rights. Actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements. Additional information on potential factors that could affect our results and other risks and uncertainties are detailed from time to time in Geron's periodic reports, including the quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2006.
SOURCE: Geron Corporation
Geron Corporation
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or
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