Intellectual Property
VIRxSYS has developed an extensive portfolio of intellectual property which is protected by a combination of patents, pending patent applications, trade secrets, and trademark law. The issued patents, pending applications and trade secrets cover lentiviral vectors, cell processing and RNA trans-splicing technology.
The Company currently has 11 issued U.S. patents and 45 issued foreign patents with claims relating to, among other things, lentiviral vectors and related manufacturing methods. In addition the Company has approximately 110 foreign and domestic patent applications currently undergoing prosecution. The Company also has a patent portfolio related to its SMaRT™ RNA technologies. This patent portfolio contains 4 issued U.S. patents covering the core technology and one patent recently issued covering the use of PTMs for a particular use. This portfolio also contains 15 foreign patents, 10 pending U.S. applications, and approximately 40 foreign pending applications worldwide. Below is a list of the Company’s issued patents in the United States.
Lentiviral Vector Related Patents
Issue Date Patent Title
Mar '99 5,885,806 Methods To Prepare Conditionally Replicating Viral Vectors
Mar '99 5,888,767 Method Of Using Conditionally Replicating Viral Vectors To Express A Gene
Sep '00 6,114,141 Methods To Express Genes From Viral Vectors
Jan '01 6,168,953 Genetic Antiviral Agents And Methods For Their Use
Mar '01 6,207,426 Conditionally Replicating Viral Vectors And Their Use
May '01 6,232,120 Methods To Inhibit Replication Of Infective Virus
Jun '02 6,410,257 Methods To Determine The Function Of A Gene Using Conditionally Replicating Viral Vectors
Dec '02 6,498,033 HIV-Based Vectors That Express Any Heterologous Genetic Payload From The HIV-LTR Promoter
Sep '03 6,627,442 Methods For Stable Transduction Of Cells With HIV-Derived Viral Vectors
Dec '04 6,835,568 Regulated Nucleic Acid And Expression System
Sep '08 7,427,474 High-Throughput Methods for Identifying Gene Function Using Lentiviral Vectors
SMaRT™ RNA Related Patents
Issue Date Patent Number Title
January 2000 6,013,487 Chimeric RNA Molecules Generated By Trans-Splicing
July 2000 6,083,702 Methods And Compositions For Use In Spliceosome Mediated RNA Trans-Splicing
August 2001 6,280,978 Methods And Compositions For Use In Spliceosome Mediated RNA Trans-Splicing
August 2006 7,094,399 Use Of Spliceosome Mediated RNA Trans-Splicing To Confer Cell Selective Replication To Adenoviruses
July 15, 2008 7,399,753 Trans-Splicing Mediated Photodynamic Therapy
As mentioned above, in addition to the Company’s patent estate, VIRxSYS has extensive intellectual property which is protected by well established trade secret law. Such intellectual property includes extensive manufacturing processes and techniques which have not been published or patented. These trade secrets, which have been accumulated, advanced and refined with years of clinical manufacturing experience, represent an important component in the Company’s intellectual property and competitive advantage.
"VIRxSYS has a powerful portfolio of technology in lentiviral vectors and cell process manufacturing which we protect with a combination of patents and trade secret laws."
Gary McGarrity, VIRxSYS EVP Scientific and Clinical Affairs