SemBioSys Awarded Key U.S. Patent for the Production of Insulin in Plants

A grant to manufacture insulin at a commercial production scale has been granted by the U.S. Patent Office to SemBioSys Genetics Inc, a Calgary, Alberta-based world leader in manufacturing high-value proteins and oils in plant seeds. The patent entitled Methods for the Production of Insulin in Plants will ensure the exclusivity of the company to commercialize the insulin-production technology in the U.S. and offers competitive advantages to potential partners who wish to supply the expanding diabetes market. "This patent further strengthens our unique proprietary position on the production of high-value pharmaceuticals using plants. Human insulin is currently the world's largest-volume protein pharmaceutical and is an ideal target for our oilbody-oleosin technology platform," said James Szarko, President and CEO of SemBioSys.

Only recently, a successful phase I/II clinical trials showed the bioequivalence between SemBioSys' plant-made insulin and Humulin(R) R. Eli Lilly's widely-used recombinant human insulin. A counterpart to this patent was issued in Europe last year, and corresponding patents are pending in Canada, Australia, Japan, China, India and Mexico.

For details, see the press release at: http://micro.newswire.ca/release.cgi?rkey=1707309704&view=36078-0&Start=0