GeneNews Limited announced that it has been granted two new US patents based on the company’s core platform technology, the Sentinel Principle®.
The first, entitled "Biomarkers for Diagnosing Schizophrenia," covers any analysis of a blood sample in which the expression pattern of a 9-gene panel is assessed in a diagnosis of schizophrenia.
The second, entitled "Mild Osteoarthritis Biomarkers and Uses Thereof," protects any analysis of a blood sample in which a characteristic expression of a specific marker gene is determined in a diagnosis of mild osteoarthritis.
Both patents represent specific practical applications of GeneNews’ proprietary Sentinel Principle, which is based on the concept that all states of health and disease are associated with characteristic gene expression signatures.
"We continue to actively pursue additional patent issuances with the goal of expanding the scope of protection for the Company’s Sentinel Principle platform technology to include all aspects of personalized health management from early detection to determining response to treatment, and to protect the use of biomarkers derived from the application of the Sentinel Principle to specific clinical applications," said Dr. Heiner Dreismann, Lead Director and Interim CEO of GeneNews.
"Both schizophrenia and mild osteoarthritis are difficult to diagnose due to the lack of objective, convenient and, in the case of mild osteoarthritis, non-invasive, measures for assessing the likelihood that a patient has the condition," said Gailina Liew, President & Chief Operating Officer of GeneNews. "These two patents protect unique clinically actionable biomarkers that can be used to develop simple blood-based tests to facilitate early diagnosis of these diseases. We are interested in engaging with partners that can work with us to co-develop these products."
The Sentinel Principle, a platform technology discovered and developed by GeneNews, is based on the concept that all clinical conditions and body states, including those resulting from disease or in response to treatment, generate characteristic gene expression signatures in the blood as a result of the constant and dynamic physiological interaction of blood with the cells, tissues and organs of the human body.
This technology is the basis of GeneNews’ initial product, ColonSentry™, the world’s first blood test for colorectal cancer. ColonSentry™ was launched in Canada in 2008 and is poised to enter the New York and New Jersey markets in the second half of 2010 through GeneNews’ exclusive partnership for these U.S. states with Enzo Clinical Labs. GeneNews’ broad patent portfolio includes pending patents related to these foundational patents in diverse disease areas such as cancer, cardiovascular, neurological and inflammatory conditions.
Source: GeneNews Limited
