A Medical Device Daily

Falcon Genomics (Pittsburgh) reported that it has received U.S. patent No. 7,537,913, with claims covering the company's Cancer BioChip System (CBCS) for the identification and validation of potential cancer targets in a high-throughput in vitro setting with great clinical translational potential.

The patent claims are supported by experimental validation with human breast cancer cells using Falcon Genomics' first-generation Cancer BioChip System (CBC-1). These results represent the first reported use of high-throughput one-step delivery of silencing RNA (siRNA) into cells growing in an anchorage-independent manner with real-time evaluation of cell growth.

"Cancer is analogous to a physiological train-wreck. It only takes a small number of defective signals to trigger the multitudes of abnormal molecular profiles observed within cancer cells. Triggering molecules are the ones that must be targeted for therapy," said Dr. Rula Abbud-Antaki, president/CSO of Falcon Genomics. "Our proprietary technology will provide personalized identification of cancer- initiating events, and formulation of efficient and accurate therapies."

Falcon Genomics is a private biotech company which is developing functional genomics, for the accurate diagnosis of cancer patients and the personalized formulation of therapeutic strategies.

In other patent news, Unigene Laboratories (Boonton, New Jersey) reported that its first patent, covering its Site-Directed Bone Growth (SDBG) technology, has been issued. The technology, jointly invented in collaboration with Agn s Vignery, MD, at the Yale School of Medicine (New Haven, Connecticut), is designed to facilitate and accelerate bone growth at precisely targeted locations in the body using a simple surgical procedure that can be performed on an outpatient basis with minimal invasiveness. Animal studies have shown that, in combination with one or more therapeutic compounds, SDBG can grow significant amounts of high quality bone.

The claims of U.S patent No. 7,531,518, "Method of Fostering Bone Formation and Preservation," provide broad protection for the inducement of rapid bone growth at specific skeletal sites and its subsequent preservation using a variety of therapeutic agents, such as parathyroid hormone, calcitonin and bisphosphonates. Several other patent applications covering the SDBG program are currently being reviewed by the USPTO.

"The issuance of this first patent provides us with broad intellectual property protection for this novel technology," said Dr. Warren Levy, president/CEO of Unigene. "This patent and the potential issuance of other patent applications could provide Unigene with a comprehensive family of patents that would cover a variety of bone ailments that affect a large segment of the population."

He added, "Although still in the early stages of development, SDBG may ultimately allow surgeons to stimulate rapid bone growth in patients with low bone density in areas such as the hip or spine. In addition, SDBG may ultimately be used to accelerate the rate of fracture healing. We believe that potential future applications may include the treatment or prevention of hip and vertebral fractures, the replacement of current vertebroplasty techniques, the stabilization of prosthetic devices, and the repair of long bone fractures."