22nd Century Group Announces Allowance of U.S. Patent For Regulating Nicotine in Tobacco Using Transcription Factor Gene
July 03 2014 - 8:50AM
Business Wire
22nd Century Group, Inc. (NYSE MKT:XXII)
announced today that the United States Patent and Trademark Office
(USPTO) has issued a Notice of Allowance for technology that
decreases or increases nicotine production and levels in tobacco
plants by using nucleic acids derived from a transcription factor
gene identified as NbTF7 – also known as NbARF1. NbTF7
simultaneously regulates the expression of multiple nicotine
biosynthesis genes.
The transcription factor technology is one of
several 22nd Century patent families representing the company’s
second-generation technology for modifying the content of nicotine
and other nicotinic alkaloids in the tobacco plant. 22nd Century’s
Vice President of Research and Development, Dr. Michael Moynihan
stated, “We are very pleased that the USPTO has allowed this
patent. Modification of transcription factor expression provides a
means of regulating the entire nicotine pathway. We believe there
will be tremendous commercial opportunities for both our very low
nicotine and our higher nicotine tobacco varieties.”
The allowed claims of Patent Application No.
12/601,752, entitled, NUCLEIC ACID SEQUENCES ENCODING TRANSCRIPTION
FACTORS REGULATING ALKALOID BIOSYNTHESIS AND THEIR USE IN MODIFYING
PLANT METABOLISM, cover methods of producing tobacco and tobacco
cells with altered nicotine levels. NbTF7 is one of six tobacco
transcription factor genes identified and demonstrated to regulate
nicotine biosynthesis and nicotine content in tobacco plants in
International Patent Application PCT/IB2008/003131, from which
United States Patent Application No. 12/601,752 and other related
patents and patent applications are derived.
This patent family includes claims for (i)
nucleic acids which encode each of six transcription factor genes
that either positively or negatively regulate multiple nicotine
biosynthesis genes, (ii) methods for producing tobacco plants with
altered nicotine levels by up-regulating or down-regulating
expression of the six transcription factor genes, and (iii) tobacco
cells, tobacco plants, and tobacco products produced by using these
methods. The major advantage of 22nd Century’s transcription factor
technology is that multiple nicotine biosynthesis genes can be
down-regulated to produce very low nicotine (VLN) tobacco or
up-regulated to produce high nicotine tobacco by modifying a single
transcription factor gene. This technology may be implemented, as
specified in the claims allowed in U.S. Patent Number 8,624,083, so
that no foreign genes to the tobacco plant are present in the
resulting tobacco. Accordingly, such plants are not considered to
be “genetically modified” in the United States and certain other
countries.
The Notice of Allowance for regulating
transcription factor gene NbTF7 was issued on June 16, 2014 to the
National Research Council Canada (NRC). Dr. Jonathon Page and
Andrea T. Todd are the inventors. 22nd Century funded research and
development at NRC thereby becoming NRC’s exclusive worldwide
licensee of this transcription factor technology and other
technologies. 22nd Century is further developing the technology,
including producing novel commercial tobacco plant varieties.
Patent Application No. 12/601,752 will be granted by the USPTO
shortly and will expire in 2028.
In the United States, 22nd Century has a patent
portfolio of 17 issued patents and 13 pending patent applications –
mainly related to the key nicotine biosynthesis genes and
transcription factors that regulate the expression of these genes,
and tobacco harm reduction products produced therefrom. 22nd
Century’s technology allows for the production of the world’s
lowest nicotine cigarette, up to 98% less nicotine than that of
“light” cigarettes, and a wide spectrum of higher nicotine tobacco
as well. The resulting tobacco plants are planted, grown,
harvested, cured, processed, and made into tobacco products exactly
the same as traditional tobacco.
About 22nd Century Group, Inc.
22nd Century is a plant biotechnology company
whose proprietary technology allows for the levels of nicotine and
other nicotinic alkaloids (e.g., nornicotine, anatabine and
anabasine) in the tobacco plant to be decreased or increased
through genetic engineering and plant breeding. 22nd Century owns
or is the exclusive licensee of 117 issued patents in 78 countries
plus an additional 44 pending patent applications. Goodrich Tobacco
Company, LLC and Hercules Pharmaceuticals, LLC are wholly-owned
subsidiaries of 22nd Century. Goodrich Tobacco is focused on
commercial tobacco products and potentially less harmful
cigarettes. Hercules Pharmaceuticals is focused on X-22, a
prescription smoking cessation aid in development.
For additional information, please visit:
www.xxiicentury.com
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking
Statements: This press release contains forward-looking
information, including all statements that are not statements of
historical fact regarding the intent, belief or current
expectations of 22nd Century Group, Inc., its directors or its
officers with respect to the contents of this press release. The
words “may,” “would,” “will,” “expect,” “estimate,” “anticipate,”
“believe,” “intend” and similar expressions and variations thereof
are intended to identify forward-looking statements. We cannot
guarantee future results, levels of activity or performance. You
should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking
statements, which speak only as of the date that they were made.
These cautionary statements should be considered with any written
or oral forward-looking statements that we may issue in the future.
Except as required by applicable law, including the securities laws
of the United States, we do not intend to update any of the
forward-looking statements to conform these statements to reflect
actual results, later events or circumstances, or to reflect the
occurrence of unanticipated events. You should carefully review and
consider the various disclosures made by us in our annual report on
Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013, filed on
January 30, 2014, including the section entitled “Risk Factors,”
and our other reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission which attempt to advise interested parties of the risks
and factors that may affect our business, financial condition,
results of operation and cash flows. If one or more of these risks
or uncertainties materialize, or if the underlying assumptions
prove incorrect, our actual results may vary materially from those
expected or projected.
Redington, Inc.Tom Redington, 203-222-7399
22nd Century (AMEX:XXII)
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