Visgenx Announces Issuance of a U.S. Patent Claiming Compositions of Candidate ELOVL2 Gene Therapy

This issuance provides patent protection in the U.S. for therapeutics incorporating the optimized ELOVL2 transgene until 2041

The patent is being prosecuted in the European Union and other countries around the globe

SAN DIEGO, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Visgenx, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on developing gene therapies for degenerative retinal diseases, today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued U.S. Patent No. 11,793,890, entitled "ELOVL2 Constructs for Human Gene Therapy". The patent, which is exclusively owned by Visgenx, has an expiration date of October 19, 2041.   

"The ELOVL2 gene is important in that its expression is believed to be necessary for the survival of cells in the retina and other organ systems," stated Marty Emanuele, Ph.D., Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer at Visgenx. "However, it is also uniquely susceptible to aging related methylation of its promotor and down regulation. Thus, decline in its expression may play an underlying role in multiple aging related disorders including age-related macular degeneration.  Accordingly, we believe that ELOVL2 gene therapy is an attractive strategy for treating these conditions."  

"The issued patent covers an optimized ELOVL2 transgene that can be used in expression vectors targeting multiple tissues," said Chris Chavez, Ph.D., Vice President of Research and Development at Visgenx and primary inventor on the patent. "Therefore, we believe the issued patent adds substantial value not only to our lead program in dry AMD, but also provides the basis for a platform of ELOVL2 based therapeutics to treat aging related disorders in other tissues where it is highly expressed including the brain, liver and pancreas."

ABOUT VISGENX, INC.
Visgenx, Inc. is a biotechnology company focused on developing gene-based therapeutics for degenerative retinal diseases. Visgenx' initial product is VGX-0111, an ELOVL2 gene therapy candidate being developed for the treatment of dry Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD). Close to 200 million people suffer from dry AMD globally; it is a leading cause of blindness. For more information on Visgenx, visit www.visgenx.com.

Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements related to Visgenx, Inc., under the safe harbor provisions of Section 21E of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding the potential for VGX-0111 as a treatment for dry AMD and other conditions.  Risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed in our forward-looking statements include that the therapy may not be effective at treating dry AMD or other conditions.  Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement in this press release except as required by law.

© 2023 Visgenx, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 

Contact: William Pedranti
(949) 413-2672

SOURCE Visgenx