Protein Polymer Technologies Granted 15th U.S. Patent Covering Core Technology,
Clinical Product Applications
SAN DIEGO, Feb. 24 -- Protein Polymer Technologies,
Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: PPTI) announced today that the U.S. Patent and
Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted PPTI another patent with broad composition
of matter claims based on its core protein engineering technology. Including
U.S. Patent Number
6,018,030 issued on January 25, 2000, PPTI currently has fifteen issued
U.S. patents, and nine patent applications pending, two of which have been
allowed. Corresponding patent applications have been filed in major international
markets, with fourteen issued foreign patents and thirty- one foreign patents
pending.
The newly issued claims extend the scope of the patent
issued in 1998 that covered recombinant proteins consisting of relatively
short sequences of amino acids found to be repeated in natural proteins.
The newly issued patent covers the corresponding DNA sequences and cells
comprising those sequences. These ``repeat unit'' sequences are used by
PPTI scientists as building blocks for creating ``protein polymers'' that
have unique materials properties due to the repetition of these sequences
throughout the polymer molecules. Silk and collagen are but two of the many
natural proteins whose valuable properties result from such repeat units.
The value of the proprietary technology platform established
by PPTI is based on the capability to create new proteins, ones not found
in nature, which have new and improved properties that can be manufactured
reproducibly and economically in a useful form, particularly for use in
medical products. The protein polymers PPTI creates may isolate and amplify
properties found in natural proteins, introduce completely new properties,
or combine properties found in two or more natural proteins.
The protein polymers are made by using recombinant DNA
technology to create synthetic genes which direct host cells, typically
bacteria, to produce the protein designed by PPTI's scientists. By using
a genetic template to direct the production process, high molecular weight
polymers are created with an exquisite degree of control over their composition
and properties. Such control is required in the natural production of proteins
which sustain life, but has been unobtainable using traditional synthetic
polymer chemistry.
Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is the most common
type of incontinence and is caused by failure of the urethral sphincter
to prevent urine flow, particularly associated with physical activity.
Treatments range from non-invasive behavioral training to abdominal surgery.
"This latest patent continues to fortify our pioneering
position in the field of biomaterials," said J. Thomas Parmeter, President
and Chief Executive Officer of Protein Polymer Technologies, Inc. "Our strategic,
layered approach to intellectual property protection has resulted in a patent
portfolio that now broadly covers both protein and DNA compositions, the
recombinant DNA methods used to create the genes which express the proteins,
methods for purifying the protein compositions, and products and methods
of use which are based on the protein compositions. Of particular importance,
this latest patent covers multiple aspects of the polymer component of our
urethral bulking agent for female stress urinary incontinence, which began
initial human clinical trials at the end of 1999."
Protein Polymer Technologies, Inc., is a San Diego-based
company focused on developing products to improve medical and surgical outcomes.
From its inception in 1988, PPTI has been a pioneer in protein design and
synthesis, developing an extensive portfolio of proprietary biomaterials.
These genetically engineered biomaterials are high molecular weight proteins,
processed into products with physical and biological characteristics tailored
to specific clinical performance requirements. Targeted products include
urethral bulking agents for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence,
dermal augmentation products for cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, surgical
adhesives and sealants, scaffolds for wound healing and tissue engineering,
and depots for local drug delivery.
For more information on these and other issued patents, visit PPTI's
online Patents page.
