TGEN Tecogen Inc

Targeted Genetics Signs Exclusive License Agreement With National Institutes of Health Agreement Expands AAV Product Opportunities SEATTLE, June 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Targeted Genetics Corporation (NASDAQ:TGEN) today announced it has signed an exclusive worldwide license with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for patents that cover ITR (inverted terminal repeat) sequences as a promoter when utilizing adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors for any product indication. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. This exclusive worldwide license covers a family of U.S. and foreign patents and patent applications related to Patent #5,587,308 entitled, "Modified Adeno-Associated Virus Vector Capable of Expression from a Novel Promoter." Prior to today's announcement, Targeted Genetics had exclusive rights to the same technology for use in the field of cystic fibrosis. This agreement expands rights under this family of patents to all AAV-based product indications. This technology was invented and patented by Barrie Carter, Terence Flotte, Sandra Afione and Rikki Solow. Dr. Carter currently serves as chief scientific officer of Targeted Genetics and invented and patented this technology during his tenure at the NIH. "Targeted Genetics continues to maintain its leadership position in the development of AAV-based products to treat or prevent disease. The Company now has three AAV-based clinical programs currently in development," said H. Stewart Parker, president and chief executive officer of Targeted Genetics. "There are certain disease states in which the therapeutic replacement gene plus an additional promoter element is too large to fit in a single AAV vector. The use of ITR as the promoter, along with these genes, allows for expression of the therapeutic gene while still providing opportunity for it to be packaged into a single AAV vector. Through this new license agreement with NIH, we are able to significantly broaden product development opportunities through use of our AAV technology." AAV vectors are utilized in Targeted Genetics' product development programs to deliver a gene of interest into targeted cells to treat or prevent disease. AAV vectors are comprised of an AAV capsid that contains a therapeutic gene of interest flanked on both ends by an AAV segment called an ITR. ITRs are necessary to package the therapeutic gene of interest into the AAV capsids. ITRs have also been demonstrated to function as promoters in product constructs for diseases such as cystic fibrosis, wherein the therapeutic gene is so large that traditional promoters linked to the therapeutic gene flanked by these ITRs cannot fit into the AAV capsid. In serving this dual function, ITRs as promoters may provide new opportunities for potential treatment of a wide variety of diseases. Targeted Genetics Corporation develops gene-based products for preventing and treating acquired and inherited diseases. The Company has three clinical product development programs, targeting cystic fibrosis, AIDS prophylaxis and rheumatoid arthritis. The Company also has a promising pipeline of product candidates focused on hemophilia and cancer and a broad platform of gene delivery technologies, as well as a promising body of technology for cellular therapy under development by its subsidiary company, CellExSys. For more information about the Company, visit its website at http://www.targetedgenetics.com/. This release contains forward-looking statements regarding our research programs, clinical trials, product development and other statements about our plans, objectives, intentions and expectations. These statements, involve current expectations, forecasts of future events and other statements that are not historical facts. Inaccurate assumptions and known and unknown risks and uncertainties can affect the accuracy of forward-looking statements. Factors that could affect our actual results include, but are not limited to, the timing, nature and results of our research and our clinical trials, our ability to recruit and enroll suitable trial participants, our ability to obtain and maintain regulatory or institutional approvals, our ability to obtain, maintain and protect our intellectual property, as well as other risk factors described in the section entitled "Factors Affecting Our Operating Results, Our Business and Our Stock Price" in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2004. You should not rely unduly on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date of this release. We undertake no duty to publicly announce or report revisions to these statements as new information becomes available that may change our expectations. DATASOURCE: Targeted Genetics Corporation CONTACT: Courtney Self of Targeted Genetics Corporation, +1-206-521-7392 Web site: http://www.targetedgenetics.com/

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