froggy...You seem so certain that DNAPrint hasn't achieved a "breakthrough", perhaps you can explain to the board what "phenomena" DNAP was referring to in this PR, and if not a "breakthrough", why have they chosen secrecy until publication by USPTO.
DNAPrint Files Patent to Protect 2,425 SNPs Linked to Drug Response
SARASOTA, Fla., Aug. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- DNAPrint genomics, Inc. announced today that it has filed a patent application to protect 2,425 Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) useful for predicting response to a large number of commonly prescribed drugs.
DNAPrint has previously compiled a candidate gene database of several thousand validated drug metabolism and drug target gene SNPs -- collectively known as the "PHENOME" SNP database. However, the new SNPs claimed in the present patent application were identified from a different, more systematic screen of the entire human genome. The sequence of each is useful for explaining variation in drug response to differing extents, depending on the drug, and the Company's data suggests that most are likely linked to genes in the human genome previously not known to be of pharmacological relevance. As such, DNAPrint believes it is the first to claim markers of this type and elucidate the potential of this new subset of the variable human genome as specifically relevant for predicting drug response.
The new patent application could provide DNAPrint a tremendous advantage towards developing pharmacogenomics classifiers that are specific, sensitive and predictively powerful enough for routine clinical use. "Most of these SNPs have been ignored by the genomics community. Though others may have unwittingly and indirectly linked a very small fraction of these SNPs with variable drug response, technical and conceptual considerations have evidently prevented them from yet recognizing the underlying fundamentals of these associations," said Tony Frudakis, Ph.D., DNAPrint's CEO. "Such recognition would be required to generate a competitive patent application." Indeed, a review of the journal and patent literature reveals no reports describing the phenomena that the Company believes cause the linkages.
The discovery that led to the patent application was unexpected, but part of a deliberate and systematic genetic research strategy at DNAPrint. "That we could identify linkages such as this en masse, within the confines of a relatively small research budget, is indicative of the intelligence and objectivity of our systematic study design and algorithmic approach," said Dr. Kondragunta Venkateswarlu, Vice-President of DNAPrint genomics, Inc.
To maintain its competitive advantage, the company will refrain from presenting details of the discovery until the findings are published by the US Patent and Trademark Office.
I originally thought that this was the AIM patent, but the statement that "The discovery that led to the patent application was unexpected..." leads me to believe that is not the case. Afterall, determination of AIM's has been part of their deliberate research strategy.
Oh well, by my reckoning we should be seeing this published in or around February 2004. I'm very curious to see what they've got. But I had a thought that perhaps La Jolla KNOWS what they've got. Maybe not...give us your thought.
Thanks in advance,
W2P
AI
