Enzo Biochem Inc. on Tuesday announced that it received anotice of allowance for a U.S. patent giving it broad coverageover genetic antisense technology.

Antisense technology is already embroiled in a patent disputebetween ICI Americas Corp. and Calgene Inc., stemming from apatent issued to Calgene in 1989 for its tomato-ripeningenzyme PG gene.

The Enzo patent "is more an umbrella patent that will verybroadly cover the use of genetic antisense technology in anycell in any plant or animal microorganism rather thanspecifically covering a certain gene," said Carol Dempster, EnzoBiochem's director of investor relations in Farmingdale, N.Y.The technology covered by the allowed patent enables theregulation of function of any gene in any cell. Since the patenthas not yet been issued, she declined to disclose the patent'sspecific claims.

Enzo exclusively licensed rights to the patent from the ResearchFoundation of the State University of New York (SUNY). Detailsof the license agreement were not disclosed.

The technology has applications in agriculture, medicaltherapeutics and bioprocessing, said Elazar Rabbani, EnzoBioChem's president. "We are in discussions with a number ofcompanies," she said.

Presumeably Calgene and ICI aren't involved in those talks.

Calgene of Davis, Calif., was awarded in April U.S. patent No.5,107,065 covering antisense regulation of gene expression inplant cells.

"We have insufficient information at present to know whetherthere is an overlap," said Lloyd Kinimoto, Calgene's vicepresident of corporate development. We must understand whattheir (Enzo's) patent is about. ... And then we will determine acourse of action."

ICI Pharmaceuticals of Wilmington, Del., was granted a U.S.patent last December covering genetic antisense technologyrelating to the gene PE (Pectin Methyl Esterase) in tomatoesand the inhibition of its expression using antisense RNAtechnology.

"We are confident in what we are doing, but until we see Enzo'sdocumentation, we don't know what is at stake," said ICIspokesman Bill Warelis.

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