Monogram Announces Issuance of Key Patents Related to VeraTag Technology

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Monogram Biosciences Inc. announced in a Wednesday press release that three key United States Patents for its proprietary VeraTag technology have been issued (United States Patent numbers 7,402,397; 7,402,398 and 7,402,399).

The patents are broad and relate to the use of Monogram's VeraTag technology for methods of detecting and profiling protein complexes, including protein homodimers and heterodimers. A European Patent (number 1278760) has also been issued in respect of these claims.

Being able to detect and profile protein complexes is important because proteins achieve their biological function when they interact, form protein complexes and thereby trigger cellular signaling processes. In this way, protein complexes are pivotal in regulating cellular survival and proliferation in normal and cancer cells. Examples of protein complexes are those involving the same proteins pairing up to form "homodimers" and different proteins pairing up to form "heterodimers."

Being able to detect and profile normal and aberrant protein complexes, such as homodimers and heterodimers, is believed to be important for predicting patient prognosis and response to therapy.

The issued patent claims around the methods of profiling and detecting protein complexes are broad and cover all types of protein complexes, including homodimers and heterodimers, detected with the VeraTag method. Examples of protein complexes covered by the patents include complexes involving the ErbB (or HER) proteins, such as EFGR (or HER1), HER2, HER3, as well as Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor receptors, such as VEGFR2, and G-protein coupled receptors. Other such proteins include PI3 Kinase, Grb2, SOS, Ras, Raf, IGF1-R, the platelet derived growth factor receptors and AKT and most proteins involved in signal transduction.

"The latest issued patents provide patent protection for some of the most important applications of our VeraTag technology -- those related to the identification of protein complexes," said William D. Young, Monogram's chief executive officer. "We believe that determining the status of particular protein complexes, such as homodimers and heterodimers, will be important for determining whether a patient's tumor will respond to certain drugs."

"Protein complexes are considered to be critical to the mechanisms of action of many cancer drugs," said Gordon Parry, Ph.D., Monogram's vice president of Oncology Research and Development.

"Yet, until now, they have not been readily measurable in tumor samples, in particular in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples. Our VeraTag technology is changing that, enabling accurate and quantitative measurements of protein complexes not previously possible. This is a unique advantage of the VeraTag platform and the patent protection achieved today is very important."

Monogram's worldwide patent portfolio includes 78 issued and pending patents and patent applications related to its VeraTag technology, 102 issued and pending patents and patent applications related to its virology technology and 101 issued and pending patents and patent applications related to its microfluidics technology. Monogram's corporate patent portfolio has recently been ranked as one of the pre-eminent biotechnology portfolios in the country based on science strength and commercial fit according to the Patent Board in its annual Biotechnology Patent Scorecard.

Monogram is advancing individualized medicine by discovering, developing and marketing innovative products to guide and improve treatment of serious infectious diseases and cancer.