SemBioSys Genetics Inc., a Calgary-based biotechnology company, announced today that it has been granted United States Patent 6,288,304 covering the use of its oil body-based plant expression technology for the production of somatotropins. The patent broadly covers the production of any somatotropin including human, bovine or fish forms of the protein.

"This patent represents further validation of the utility and flexibility of our technology platform" said SemBioSys President and Chief Executive Officer Andrew Baum. "The work underlying this patent demonstrated several key attributes of our technology platform. We have validated the use of our technology for the production of correctly folded and active disulfide-bonded proteins using an important class of growth regulators. This is the first example of the commercial level expression of this class of proteins in seeds.

Finally, we demonstrated that a fish somatotropin was physiologically active as an oil body associated protein when fed to salmon and trout demonstrating, its potential for oral delivery of biologically active proteins."

The newly issued patent follows the issuance of SemBioSys’ Uses of Oil Bodies Patent (United States Patent 6,146,654), which issued in November of last year. This patent covers the use of oil bodies in personal care, topical pharmaceutical and food applications. "The new patent further demonstrates the extremely strong position we have developed around our oil body technology platform for a wide range of products and applications" said Baum.

SemBioSys is using a variety of genetic engineering technologies to express proteins in the seeds of safflower.

One embodiment of the technology involves the covalent attachment of proteins to oil bodies, natural oil storage organelles found in oilseeds. Taking advantage of the simple physical principle that oil is lighter than water, oil bodies can be easily separated from the majority of other seed components. This provides a cost-effective solution for bulk protein production and purification. The technology is amenable for oral and topical delivery of bioactive peptides and proteins. The Company operates a pilot manufacturing facility that can deliver oil body-based products and purified protein at scale.

SemBioSys’ has established partnerships with Syngenta, Metabolic Pharmaceuticals and a multinational fine chemical manufacturer. In October 2000 the Company completed a $16.5 million CDN private financing from a syndicate, led by Bay City Capital through its North American Nutrition and Agribusiness Fund. Other investors include Business Development Bank of Canada, Dow AgroSciences Canada Inc., Royal Bank Capital Partners, University Technologies International, Ventures West, and scientific founder Dr. Maurice Moloney.