Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
February 14, 2012

Precision BioSciences, Inc., a leader in the field of genome engineering, today announced that the European Patent Office (EPO) has issued a notification of Intent to Grant for European Patent Application No. 10 191 888 (“the '888 Application”). The thirteen allowed claims relate to both engineered meganucleases and methods for utilizing the engineered meganucleases for the production of genetically modified cells and organisms. These methods also include uses of engineered meganucleases as a therapeutic and are an important component of Precision’s Directed Nuclease Editor (DNE) genome engineering technology.

The allowance of the claims of the European ‘888 Application follow Precision’s recently allowed claims from U.S. Patent Applications 13/246,270, 13/246,346, 13/246,380, 13/245,607, and 13/245,596 and will allow Precision to protect an aspect of its proprietary DNE technology in Europe as well as in the United States. Precision announced in October 2011 that it has asserted U.S. Patent No. 8,021,867 against Cellectis SA in a lawsuit pending in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina.

“This grant marks the seventh patent allowance that Precision has announced in the last six months and our first in Europe,” stated Matthew Kane, Precision BioSciences’ CEO. “The rapid development of Precision’s engineered meganuclease patent portfolio is now allowing us to both protect and derive greater value from our pioneering contributions to the field of genome engineering.”

Website: http://elolife.ag/

Published: February 14, 2012