Applied Gene Technologies Cocktail Reagent Patent Issued: Tessera Array Technology -- TAT -TM- -- Can Improve Margins in Disease Diagnosis, Monitoring and Treatment Products.Business Editors & Health/Medical Writers BIOWIRE2K SAN DIEGO--(BW HealthWire)--May 16, 2002 Applied Gene Technologies Inc., today announced that it has received a patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office The United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO or USPTO) is an agency in the United States Department of Commerce that provides patent protection to inventors and businesses for their inventions, and trademark registration for product and intellectual property (No. 6,379,930) for its Tessera tessera: see mosaic. Array Technology(TM), entitled "Stabilization of nucleic acid nucleic acid, any of a group of organic substances found in the chromosomes of living cells and viruses that play a central role in the storage and replication of hereditary information and in the expression of this information through protein synthesis. amplification cocktails." Applied Gene Technologies' proprietary Tessera Array Technology (TAT(TM)) utilizes nucleic acid-probe based diagnostics for early detection of infectious diseases infectious diseases: see communicable diseases. and cancer. By employing innovative and proprietary nucleic acid binding ligands coupled with photochemistry photochemistry, study of chemical processes that are accompanied by or catalyzed by the emission or absorption of visible light or ultraviolet radiation. A molecule in its ground (unexcited) state can absorb a quantum of light energy, or photon, and go to a and luminescence luminescence, general term applied to all forms of cool light, i.e., light emitted by sources other than a hot, incandescent body, such as a black body radiator. techniques, TAT(TM) has the ability to identify infectious agents in less than an hour in a sensitive and reliable manner using a simple, single-vial format. Applied Gene Technologies' first TAT(TM)-enabled product application, a Tuberculosis DNA DNA: see nucleic acid. DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid One of two types of nucleic acid (the other is RNA); a complex organic compound found in all living cells and many viruses. It is the chemical substance of genes. Identification Kit, recently received the "2001 National Biotechnology Medical Prize" from the President of Taiwan. "This award not only validates our technology," commented C.N. Sridhar, Ph.D., chief operating officer Chief Operating Officer (COO) The officer of a firm responsible for day-to-day management, usually the president or an executive vice-president. of Applied Gene Technologies, "It acknowledges the positive socio-economic impact of fast, simple and cost-effective early detection of human diseases now possible using Applied Gene Technologies proprietary Tessera Array Technology(TM)." The company is on target for the 2002 launch of its TAT(TM)-enabled TB Kit in Taiwan. "Our newly patented invention builds on the company's proprietary platform technology by providing a cocktail of reagents for nucleic acid amplification which eliminates the requirement for separate preparation and quality control of each reagent used in a reaction," commented Nani Dattagupta, Ph.D., president and chief scientific officer of Applied Gene Technologies. "This is possible because all of the reagents necessary to perform nucleic acid amplification are encapsulated in liposome liposome (lī`pəsōm', lĭp`ə–), microscopic, fluid-filled pouch whose walls are made of layers of phospholipids identical to the phospholipids that make up cell membranes. vesicle vesicle /ves·i·cle/ (ves´i-k'l) 1. a small bladder or sac containing liquid. 2. a small circumscribed elevation of the epidermis containing a serous fluid; a small blister. ," added Dr. Dattagupta. Unlike existing technologies, which often require more than 12 reagents, TAT(TM) simplifies all assays by using an universal reagent, a target-specific probe system and a SINGLE protocol for all assays. Tessera Array Technology(TM) is built to use probes of a defined secondary structure in a micro-array format in order to increase specificity and ease of detection. This simplifies the detection process and is easy to automate. As a result, advanced instrumentation technologies and automated blood screening processes can be more cost-effective using Applied Gene Technologies' TAT(TM) format. Applied Gene Technologies' initial focus has been on the development and launch of TAT(TM)-enabled diagnostic products for infectious diseases and cancer. The company's upcoming product launch marks the achievement of a major operational milestone for Applied Gene Technologies and opens the door for the company to actively pursue corporate partnering opportunities to further leverage AGTI's Tessera Array Technology(TM) in applications outside its initial core application. "Our new invention New Invention may refer to:
Applied Gene Technologies' patented reagent cocktail eliminates the requirement for the separate preparation and quality control of each reagent used in a nucleic acid amplification reaction. "Use of a single reagent cocktail reduces the costs of materials, labor and shipping. It also avoids undesirable reactions during storage and is stable at room temperature which eliminates the need for refrigeration refrigeration, process for drawing heat from substances to lower their temperature, often for purposes of preservation. Refrigeration in its modern, portable form also depends on insulating materials that are thin yet effective. in storage and transport," Dr. Sridhar added. "These cost savings mean higher margins for Applied Gene Technology and its strategic partners." Automated systems for the identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing of infectious agents play a significant role in clinical diagnostics such as early detection of human disease, blood screening and drug screening. "Applied Gene Technologies' cocktail reagent is a broadly applicable medical technology innovation that can improve the performance and profitability of these automated systems," commented Dr. Dattagupta, president and chief scientific officer. "Applied Gene Technologies' TAT(TM) single cocktail reagent simplifies the testing process for automated systems while accelerating test results and cutting the material and labor costs involved in the pre-analytical and diagnostic process." Founded in 1998, Applied Gene Technologies is a pioneering biotechnology company that has developed a proprietary platform technology, which can be used to detect nucleic acids Nucleic acids The cellular molecules DNA and RNA that act as coded instructions for the production of proteins and are copied for transmission of inherited traits. for molecular diagnosis of human diseases. The newly issued cocktail reagent patent further strengthens the company's ability to develop new products and partner with instrumentation and blood screening companies to revolutionize the way diseases are diagnosed, monitored and treated around the world. The company has headquarters in San Diego. |
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