By Donald Zuhn —

On Tuesday, ARIUS Research Inc. announced that it had been granted U.S. Patent Nos. 7,256,271 and 7,256,272.  According to the statement released by ARIUS, the ‘271 patent relates to a CEA targeting antibody having demonstrated potent anti-tumour activity in colon and breast cancer models, and the ‘272 patent relates to a CD63 targeting antibody having the potential to recruit the body’s own defense system to attack cancer and having been shown to prevent tumor growth and enhance survival in breast cancer models.  ARIUS has licensed the ‘272 patent to Genentech.  The ‘271 and ‘272 patents are the thirteenth and fourteenth U.S. patents to be awarded to the Toronto-based biotech company.

ARIUS uses a proprietary technology platform, which it calls FunctionFIRST, to rapidly identify and select antibodies having the ability to act against a disease or disease process (i.e., functional antibodies).  With respect to cancer therapeutics, the FunctionFIRST platform allows ARIUS to test numerous antibodies and select only those antibodies that trigger signals in cancer cells leading to cell death.  ARIUS has used this platform to assemble a portfolio of more than 400 antibody candidates.

The ‘271 patent issued from U.S. Application No. 10/348,284, filed January 21, 2003.  Independent claims 1 and 3 of the ‘271 patent recite:

1.  An isolated monoclonal antibody or antigen binding fragments thereof encoded by the clone deposited with the ATCC as Accession Number PTA-4829.

3.  The isolated clone deposited with the ATCC as Accession Number PTA-4829.

The ‘272 patent issued from U.S. Application No. 10/713,642, filed November 13, 2003, and claims the benefit of U.S. Application Nos. 09/727,361, filed November 29, 2000, and 09/415,278, filed October 8, 1999.  Independent claims 1 and 3 of the ‘272 patent recite:

1.  The isolated monoclonal antibody produced by the hybridoma deposited with the ATCC as Accession Number PTA-4622.

3.  The isolated hybridoma deposited with the ATCC as Accession Number PTA-4622.

For additional information regarding ARIUS patents profiled by Patent Docs, please see:

• "ARIUS Gets New Anti-Cancer Antibody Patents," March 8, 2007