Ryogen Awarded Two U.S. Patents Directed to Hepatitis C and Diabetes

New Patents Further Develop IP Related to CD81 and Human Glucokinase

Suffern, N.Y. –August 27, 2014 – Ryogen LLC, an R&D company focusing on polynucleotide sequences implicated in human diseases, was awarded two new patents, bringing the total number of its issued U.S. Patents to 34. 

U.S. Patent No. 8,795,959 titled “Isolated glucokinase genomic polynucleotide fragments from chromosome 7” was issued August 5, 2014. This patent continues the theme of a previously issued Ryogen patent, U.S. Patent No. 8,313,899. The new patent claims a method of detection of specified sequences from polynucleotide sequence which encodes a protein that has human glucokinase activity. Glucokinase plays an important role in the regulation of carbohydrate metabolism. It serves as a glucose sensor of the insulin-producing pancreatic cells, controls the conversion of glucose to glycogen in the liver, and regulates hepatic glucose production. Mutations in the gene for this enzyme are associated with different forms of Diabetes and Hypoglycemia. 

U.S. Patent No.8,765,927 titled “Identification of isolated genomic nucleotide fragments from the p15 region of chromosome 11 encoding human cluster of differentiation antigen 81 and variants thereof” was issued on July 1, 2014. The patent builds on other patents in Ryogen’s portfolio directed to CD81, namely U.S. Patent Nos. 8,039,602 and 8,399,638. It claims methods of identifying presence and variance of CD81 Genomic DNA using short segments of non-coding DNA or RNA segments. The CD81 protein is a cell surface protein and has broad tissue distribution. It plays a critical role in Hepatitis C virus attachment and cell entry as well as being a factor in HIV and influenza viruses pathogenesis. CD81 represents a potential therapeutic target to ameliorate inflammatory neurological damage in MS. The loss of CD81 is associated with differentiation and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma. CD81 protein is expressed at high levels in normal germinal center B cells and in subtypes of human lymphomas.

Valeria Poltorak, Executive Vice President of Ryogen, commented that “the new patents are promising in defining novel therapeutic and diagnostic targets for treatment of Hepatitis C and diabetes. The company’s patents are directed to polynucleotides implicated in various cancers, diabetes and obesity, hepatitis C, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's, and other diseases.”

In addition to its 34 issued patents, Ryogen has patent applications in different stages of prosecution at the U.S. Patent Office. The complete list of issued patents is available at the Patents page of the Ryogen website. The whole IP portfolio is available for licensing to research and business communities on very favorable terms. 


About Ryogen LLC

Ryogen LLC, a genetic R&D company focusing on nucleic acid sequences, implied in human diseases, is located in Suffern, N.Y. Ryogen owns an intellectual property portfolio of 34 patents and several patent applications directed to potentially important applications in biomedical research and, ultimately, diagnostics and drug development. Ryogen was formed with the purpose of making its intellectual property accessible to researchers via licensing of its patents. Ryogen is a business unit in the idea incubator operated by IP Holdings LLC, and Ryogen is managed by General Patent Corporation (GPC). For further information, visit www.Ryogen.com.

About IP Holdings LLC 

IP Holdings LLC, based in Suffern, N.Y., is an IP-centric merchant banking organization that provides IP‐related financial services, patent brokerage services, and operates an idea incubatorthat focuses on patent commercialization. IP Holdings is a member of the GPC Group of Companies. For additional information, visit www.IP-Holdings.com.