July 18, 2008
TRANS GENIC INC.

   

High-Affinity Antibody Technology (GANP®Mouse Technology) has been Patented by the Chinese Patent Office



We hereby announce that a high-affinity antibody technology using GANP mouse, a part of patent applications regarding "GANP®mouse technology (*1)" (hereinafter referred to as "the Technology") which is a basic technology of TRANS GENIC INC. (hereinafter referred to as "we"), has been approved by the Chinese Patent Office (Patent No.: ZL200380102832.4).

The patent granted this time widely covers the Technology discovered by Dr. Nobuo Sakaguchi, professor of Department of Immunology, Kumamoto University School of Medicine.

Regarding it as our fundamental technology, we are introducing various other technologies which will bring about synergy combined with it. We are also establishing technological platforms for antibodies and proteins to expand our antibody business.

Regarding the business, we produce high value-added antibodies which can be used as therapeutic antibodies and diagnostic reagents and provide custom production services of antibodies produced by the Technology. In addition, we conduct the licensing business of the Technology, in using the antibodies for commercial purposes.

We have strived to protect intellectual properties of the Technology at home and abroad to make it contribute to our business. We will continuously intend to acquire the other related patents to cover it more widely and proceed with our R&D and business activities to discover innovative seeds for diagnostic reagents and pharmaceuticals using GANP®mouse Technology.

The effects of this announcement on our business performance are as yet unknown, but we will make an announcement when it starts to have a significant impact on our business performance.

Note:

*1

GANP®Mouse Technology

This is our unique technology to produce antibodies using "GANP® mice", genetically engineered mice whose GANP gene expression is increased. Compared to conventional methods of antibody production, GANP®Mouse Technology can produce higher-affinity and higher-specificity antibodies with a higher success rate. Therefore it is considered that the technology has many advantages in applying it to development of diagnostic reagents and pharmaceuticals.
We regard it as a fundamental technology in our antibody-related technological platforms and promote various businesses utilizing it. For example, we are developing our original products, offering custom production services and granting its license to pharmaceutical companies and diagnostic reagent manufacturers to gain profits from its licensing fees and product royalties.

- What is GANP (Germinal Center Associated Nuclear Protein)?
It is a new nuclear factor increasingly expressed in germinal-center B cells. Dr. Nobuo Sakaguchi of Kumamoto University discovered it.

- What are characteristics of GANP®mice?
Expression of GANP genes in germinal-center B cells is more increased in GANP mice than in normal mice. These GANP proteins cause the genetic alteration of the V regions with increased mutations. Therefore high-affinity and high-specificity antibodies can be produced with a high success rate.

Sakaguchi N. et al., J Immunol. 2005 Apr 15;174(8):4485-94.

 


 
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