Aegea Biotechnologies, Inc. Announces the Award of Japanese Patent for Primer-Switch Mutation Detection and Amplification Improvement Platform Used to Detect Rare Genetic Alterations and Variants

SAN DIEGO, Sept. 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Aegea Biotechnologies, Inc. (www.aegeabiotech.com, "Aegea"), a biotechnology company focusing on the development and commercialization of next generation nucleic acid and clinical diagnostic technologies, announces the award of Japanese Patent No. 6734887, entitled METHODS FOR DETECTING NUCLEIC ACID SEQUENCE VARIANTS.  The patent provides intellectual property protection for the Primer-Switch technology, which is useful for detecting rare genetic events and for improving real-time PCR amplification reaction as well as associated analysis methods, including next-generation sequencing (NGS).  Importantly, this patented technology can also be applied to molecular diagnostic tests for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19, coronavirus).

The issuance of this patent expands Aegea's already sizable intellectual property estate to 11 issued US patents and 34 foreign equivalents. The Primer-Switch is another method, in addition to Aegea's Switch-Blocker technology, that can be used for the detection of important rare genetic events such as, for example, those associated with cancer causation and drug resistance. The intellectual property underlying the Primer-Switch and the Switch-Blocker technologies is jointly owned by Aegea and Biocept (NASDAQ:BIOC).  Under Aegea and Biocept's cross licensing agreement relating to the Primer-Switch and Switch-Blocker intellectual property, Aegea has exclusive rights in the field of infectious disease, and Biocept has certain rights within the field of clinical oncology. Aegea is the sole owner of its 9 other issued US patents and their foreign equivalents.

The grant of this Japan patent represents the third issued Primer-Switch patent, and it positions the company for worldwide patent protection.  Beyond its use for the detection of rare genetic events, the Primer-Switch technology can be used to enhance the performance and specificity of PCR amplification reactions, which are widely used in molecular diagnostic testing, including COVID-19 testing, hereditary disease testing, environmental testing, and many others.

Lyle Arnold, Ph.D., Aegea's Founder and CEO states, "The Primer-Switch methodology has far reaching applications, especially where the detection of rare genetic events is crucial or where more precise PCR reactions are necessary for detecting rare genetic events.  The Primer-Switch method is also directly applicable to new tests for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), where more precise PCR amplification reactions can provide important advantages."

Stella M. Sung, Ph.D., Chief Business Officer of Aegea adds, "Aegea's growing intellectual property portfolio related to innovative nucleic acid technologies will help us develop differentiated PCR and point-of-care diagnostic tests for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19).  We hope that Aegea's assays can help in the current pandemic and be adaptable to future global health needs."

About Aegea Biotechnologies

Aegea Biotechnologies, Inc. located in San Diego, California, is a biotechnology company focusing on the development and commercialization of next generation nucleic acid technologies. A primary focus for the company is nucleic acid technology innovations that embrace molecular diagnostic assays, qPCR technologies, sequencing methods including both Sanger and NGS, and rapid point-of-care COVID-19 testing.  Aegea has complementary collaborations with Biocept (Nasdaq: BIOC) and Tauriga Sciences (OTC/QB: TAUG) for developing its COVID-19 tests.

www.aegeabiotech.com

SOURCE Aegea Biotechnologies, Inc.