Agennix Announces the Granting of Two United States Patents Covering the Human Lactoferrin cDNA Sequences.HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Aug. 17, 1999-- Agennix Inc. announced today that it has been granted two patents from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (U.S. Patent Nos. 5,766,939 and 5,849,881), both titled "Production of Recombinant Lactoferrin lactoferrin (lak´tōfer´in), n an iron-binding protein found in the specific granules of neutrophils where it apparently exerts an antimicrobial activity by withholding iron from ingested bacteria and fungi. and Lactoferrin Polypeptides Using cDNA Sequences in Various Organisms." These patents are related to the production of recombinant human lactoferrin and cover lactoferrin and lactoferrin polypeptides produced recombinantly using a human cDNA sequence and plasmids for expressing human lactoferrin cDNA. Lactoferrin is a natural antimicrobial/anti-inflammatory protein. "These patents enhance our position as the leading producer and supplier of recombinant human lactoferrin worldwide," said Denis Denis, king of Portugal: see Diniz. R. Headon, Ph.D., president and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of Agennix. "These patents will also allow us to further our proprietary technology, which is used in disease-fighting applications in ophthalmic, gastrointestinal, dermatological and nutraceutical areas." These patents specifically cover the production of recombinant human lactoferrin, involving the entire DNA sequence DNA sequence Genetics The precise order of bases–A,T,G,C–in a segment of DNA, gene, chromosome, or an entire genome. See Base pair, Base sequence analysis, Chromosome, Gene, Genome. . Agennix is in clinical development for lactoferrin-based products for a variety of inflammatory indications, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Dr. Headon. Agennix's patent estate now includes U.S. patents covering DNA sequences encoding human lactoferrin, methods for producing recombinant human lactoferrin from a variety of host cell systems, methods for producing lactoferrin polypeptides and numerous patents and pending applications covering uses for lactoferrin. Lactoferrin is a multi-functional protein displaying antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities. The antimicrobial activity is due, in part, to its high affinity for iron, making this essential nutrient An essential nutrient is a nutrient required for normal body functioning that cannot be synthesized by the body and must be obtained from a dietary source. Some categories of essential nutrient include vitamins, dietary minerals, essential fatty acids, and essential amino acids. unavailable to support bacterial growth Bacterial growth The processes of both the increase in number and the increase in mass of bacteria. Growth has three distinct aspects: biomass production, cell production, and cell survival. . The protein also functions as a direct bactericide bac·te·ri·cide or bac·te·ri·o·cide n. An agent that destroys bacteria. bac·te  ri·cid by disrupting the cell walls of a broad range of bacteria. Most significantly, Agennix has demonstrated, in inflammatory models, that lactoferrin directly regulates the production of TNF-alpha. About Agennix Agennix Inc. is a Houston-based biopharmaceutical company engaged in the research, development and commercialization of a new class of natural anti-inflammatory/anti-infective agents. The company's core underlying technology is built on human lactoferrin, an anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial protein with multiple clinical applications in the treatment of inflammatory and infectious diseases. |
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