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April 1, 2010 TRANS GENIC INC. |
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Method for Producing High-affinity Antibodies (GANP® Mouse Technology) has been Patented in Japan | |
| TRANS GENIC INC. (headquartered in Kumamoto, Japan, CEO: Ken-ichi Yamamura, hereinafter referred to as “we”) hereby announce that a method for producing high-affinity antibodies, which is a part of patent applications regarding our fundamental technology of “GANP® Mouse Technology (hereinafter referred to as “the Technology”)”, has been patented in Japan (Patent No.: 4426728). | |
| The patent granted this time widely covers GANP gene and GANP protein, discovered by Dr. Nobuo Sakaguchi, professor of Department of Immunology, Kumamoto University School of Medicine. The Technology has been patented in Europe, Australia and Korea and partially patented in China. | |
| We develop high-affinity and high-specificity antibodies with the Technology and sell them as research reagents. We also use them to develop diagnostic reagents as biomarkers (e.g. tumor markers) and conduct licensing business to pharmaceutical companies which develop therapeutic antibodies. | |
| The effects of the patent acquisition on our performance for the fiscal term ending March 2011 are immaterial, and accordingly existing forecasts of business results remain unchanged. | |
| Reference | ：GANP® Mouse Technology |
| GANP (Germinal Center Associated Nuclear Protein) is a gene expressed in B-cells which produce antibodies. It was discovered by Dr. Nobuo Sakaguchi of Kumamoto University. GANP® Mouse Technology is our unique technology to produce antibodies using "GANP® mice", genetically engineered mice in which the GANP genes are over-expressed. The antibodies produced with GANP mice are characterized by high-affinity and high-specificity; therefore they can be used to develop diagnostic reagents and therapeutic antibodies. These self-developed antibody products and licensing business of the Technology are major sources of revenue of our antibody business. | |
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