Megabios Corp. Receives Broad Patent Covering Aerosolized Gene Delivery Using Cationic Lipids
03:54 p.m Jun 04, 1998 Eastern

BURLINGAME, Calif., June 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Megabios Corp announced today that the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued U.S. Patent No. 5,756,353 covering aerosolized gene delivery to the lung and airways using cationic lipids. The patent broadly covers methods of delivering aerosolized cationic lipid-DNA complexes, resulting in the expression of relevant genes by cells in the lungs and airways. This technology has many potential applications in pulmonary disorders, including the treatment of cystic fibrosis using a gene-based therapeutic that Megabios is developing in collaboration with Glaxo Wellcome plc.

This patent is the second to issue covering aerosolized gene delivery, from a series of patent applications licensed exclusively to Megabios from the Regents of the University of California. Megabios announced the first issued patent in the series, U.S. Patent No. 5,641,662, in June, 1997.

"This patent is an important addition to our intellectual property portfolio," said Benjamin F. McGraw, III, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of Megabios Corp. "This patent further strengthens our position in the area of aerosolized gene delivery. We believe this technology will have multiple applications, including the treatment of cystic fibrosis, the treatment of asthma, and the delivery of gene-based vaccines via mucosal immunity."

Cationic lipids are positively charged lipids which, when combined with negatively charged molecules such as DNA, form tight complexes. Cationic lipid-DNA complexes deliver intact DNA to cells, allowing the expression of therapeutic genes of interest. Megabios believes that such non-viral means of gene delivery may have advantages over the use of viruses to deliver genes. These advantages include fewer side effects, the possibility of repeat dosing, and ease of manufacturing. In addition, Megabios believes that gene-based therapeutics utilizing its lipid-based gene delivery technology are stable and can be handled and administered like traditional pharmaceuticals.

Megabios Corp. provides proprietary gene delivery systems and provides development expertise to create gene-based therapeutics designed for the treatment or prevention of genetic and acquired diseases. Megabios has developed several in vivo, non-viral gene delivery systems to address a number of potential therapeutic applications using a variety of therapeutic agents.

Additional information about Megabios can by found at www.megabios.com Statements in this press release that are not strictly historical are "forward looking" statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. There can be no assurance that Megabios will be able to develop any commercially viable gene-based therapeutic for cystic fibrosis or other diseases, that any of the programs will be partnered with a pharmaceutical partner, that necessary regulatory approvals will be obtained or that any clinical trials will be successful. The actual results may differ from those projected in the forward looking statement due to risks and uncertainties that exist in the Company's operations and business environment, described more fully in the Company's Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31, 1998 and the prospectus dated September 15, 1997, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. SOURCE Megabios Corp.

Copyright 1998, PR Newswire

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