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Geron Receives U.S. Patent Covering Use of Telomerase Inhibitors in Patients
Tuesday April 15, 7:33 am ET


MENLO PARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 15, 2003--Geron Corporation (Nasdaq:GERN - News) announced today that it has been granted U.S. Patent No. 6,548,298, by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, with claims directed to the use of oligonucleotide drugs to inhibit telomerase in patients. Telomerase inhibitors of this type, including GRN163, are currently undergoing pre-clinical testing at Geron for use in treating a range of human cancers.
"Geron was the first to clone the RNA component of human telomerase," noted David J. Earp, J.D., Ph.D., Geron's vice president of intellectual property, "and we have previously been granted patents for that RNA and oligonucleotide compounds based on its sequence. This latest patent is a significant addition to our portfolio because it explicitly covers the use of those oligonucleotides to treat patients. The Patent Office sets a high hurdle for claims to methods of treating patients -- in this case we were able to submit data showing the efficacy of these oligonucleotides against a number of different types of human tumors in animal models."

GRN163 is a potent, specific and non-toxic inhibitor of telomerase in cancer cells. The drug is a short (13 base) oligonucleotide made using proprietary chemistry that confers stability and enhanced cellular uptake to the compound. The drug is active against all major human tumor types in vitro and in animal models of human brain, prostate, lymphoma, myeloma and cervical cancers. Unlike most anti-cancer drugs, GRN163 has not caused toxicity in animals at therapeutically effective doses. The compound is now undergoing IND-enabling GLP toxicology studies and, depending on results, the company expects to file an IND with the FDA for the treatment of glioblastoma (brain cancer).