Partial Press Release(everything except list of patents and safe harbor disclaimer):
Tuesday January 28 4:08 PM EDT
28 Patent Applications for Human Genome Sciences
ROCKVILLE, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 27, 1997--Human Genome Sciences, Inc.
(HGS) today announced that 28 new human genes and their medical uses were published in
Europe under the International Patent Convention Treaty (PCT) in December 1996.
Each patent application describes a heretofore unknown human gene, and its potential medical
uses. Each patent application contains a description of the complete protein sequence and the
sequence of the encoding gene. Each patent application also describes the potential use of the
gene itself for diagnostic and therapeutic purpose, and the potential use of the protein to
diagnose, treat and cure disease. One of these newly published PCT applications
(WO96/39437) encodes a chemokine receptor (CCR5) recently shown to be one of the
receptors for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
"December was a record month for Human Genome Sciences in terms of published patent
applications," said William A. Haseltine, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of HGS. "Each
patent application describes a novel human gene. On average, only 15 to 20 patent applications
are described in published patent applications monthly by the entire collection of pharmaceutical,
biotechnology and university scientists combined. We are pleased that in one month, HGS has
more than equalled the combined world output on description of new human genes in the patent
literature. We are also pleased that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) has
taken favorable action on a number of our patent applications."
To date, HGS has received notice of allowance from the U.S. PTO on patent applications
describing nineteen novel human genes. Four of the nineteen applications have been issued as
patents to HGS by the US PTO.
The HGS patent portfolio covers a wide range of applications, including the description of a
number of proteins that themselves may be useful as drugs (therapeutic proteins drugs), receptors
that may be used for discovery of small molecule drugs, and genes and proteins that may be
useful in the prediction and diagnosis of cancer and other inherited diseases.
"HGS' ability to obtain patent protection on products, particularly therapeutic proteins, is an
important element of future success," said Melvin D. Booth, President and Chief Operating
Officer of Human Genome Sciences. "We are very pleased with our progress to date. December
was a banner month." |
