Precision BioSciences Announces Allowance of Third U.S. Patent Related to Engineered Meganucleases

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Precision BioSciences, Inc., a leader in the field of genome engineering, today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) has issued a Notice of Allowance for U.S. Patent Application 13/245,607 (“the '607 Application”). The allowed claims relate to methods of cleaving a target DNA site in a cell using an engineered meganuclease. These methods are broadly utilized as a part of Precision's DNE genome engineering technology.

The allowance of the claims of the '607 Application follows Precision's recently allowed 13/245,596 application and further increases Precision's ability to defend its DNE technology, aspects of which are already protected under Precision's U.S. Patent No. 8,021,867 (“the '867 Patent”). Precision announced in October 2011 that it has asserted the '867 Patent against Cellectis SA in a suit pending in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina.

“We welcome the decision by the PTO allowing these claims, which cover our inventions of methods for cleaving DNA,” stated Derek Jantz, Precision BioSciences' VP of Scientific Development and co-inventor of the ‘607 Application. “Importantly, the claimed methods include the use of engineered features that are a key aspect of Precision's award-winning DNE approach to genome engineering.”

About Precision BioSciences

Precision BioSciences' mission is to continually provide, improve, and enable the world's most powerful genome engineering technology. Precision's proprietary Directed Nuclease Editor^TM (DNE) technology enables the production of genome editing enzymes that can insert, remove, modify, and regulate essentially any gene in mammalian or plant cells.

Precision BioSciences' vision is to be the conduit through which the world's greatest genome engineering challenges are solved. Precision has successfully utilized its DNE technology to create innovative products in partnerships with many of the world's largest biopharmaceutical, agbiotech, and animal research firms. Internally, Precision is developing applications of DNE in biological production and human therapeutics. For additional information, please visit www.precisionbiosciences.com.