RetroSense Therapeutics Announces Notice of Allowance for New U.S. Patent Application Broadly Covering Optogenetic Approaches to Vision Restoration

ANN ARBOR, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--RetroSense Therapeutics, a biotechnology company dedicated to developing gene therapy approaches to vision restoration, announced today that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued a Notice of Allowance for U.S. patent application (No. 12/299,574), which broadly covers methods of restoring visual responses with a variety of optogenetic compounds. Specifically, the allowed application includes claims covering methods of restoring visual responses by delivering channelrhodopsin and variants thereof, as well as halorhodopsin to retinal neurons – with or without the use of cell-type specific promoters, including mGluR6 (Grm6). The subject opsins have been studied extensively and published on as means of vision restoration in retinal degenerative conditions such as retinitis pigmentosa and dry age-related macular degeneration.

The approved patent application is part of the “Pan” patent family, which stems from the novel research of Dr. Zhuo-Hua Pan and others at Wayne State University and Salus University, designed to restore vision in retinal degenerative conditions. Several Pan patent applications are part of RetroSense’s intellectual property estate, which focuses on optogenetic gene therapies and complementary devices for vision restoration.

“We are pleased that the U.S. Patent Office has allowed this patent application, which will substantively expand the coverage of RetroSense’s intellectual property estate. RetroSense continues to develop novel intellectual property in the area of optogenetics. Accordingly, we plan to continue to extend our basic patent protections on our technologies. We have also maintained an ongoing strategy to consolidate key intellectual property required to develop and commercialize optogenetics to restore visual responses,” said Sean Ainsworth, Chief Executive Officer of RetroSense.

Following a Notice of Allowance, the process resulting in final issuance of a patent involves several administrative steps that are typically completed within a year.

About RetroSense Therapeutics

RetroSense Therapeutics is a biotechnology company developing game-changing gene therapies designed to restore vision in patients suffering from blindness due to retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and advanced dry age-related macular degeneration (advanced dry-AMD). There are currently no FDA approved drugs to improve or restore vision in patients with these retinal degenerative conditions. RetroSense is led by a team of seasoned veterans with deep experience in taking products from the discovery stage through to the clinic. For more information about RetroSense, visit http://www.retro-sense.com/.

RetroSense Forward-Looking Statement

This press release includes forward-looking statements regarding RetroSense Therapeutics’ intellectual property estate, and the therapeutic and commercial potential of RetroSense’s technologies and products in development. Any statement describing RetroSense’s goals, intentions, beliefs, expectations, financial or other projections is a forward-looking statement and should be considered an at-risk statement. RetroSense’s forward-looking statements also involve assumptions that, if incorrect, could cause the Company’s results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the good faith judgment of RetroSense management, however, these statements are based solely upon elements currently known by RetroSense. Readers are cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements.