KeyGene strengthens its SBG patent portfolio

KeyGene announced that its Sequence-Based Genotyping (SBG) patent portfolio has been strengthened by the grant of European patent EP 2292788, entitled "Strategies for high throughput identification and detection of polymorphisms", protecting sequence-based detection of adapter-ligated restriction fragments. The patent is one of several patents and patent applications the company owns related to next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based detection of complexity-reduced DNA for genotyping purposes. The granted patent protects Complexity Reduction of Polymorphic Sequences (CRoPS®), SBG, the Restriction-site Associated DNA (RAD) technology and similar methods for random genetic marker detection encompassing complexity reduction, adapter ligation and sequencing. The grant of this European patent strengthens KeyGene´s leading position in the competitive field of SBG for breeding. KeyGene is committed to strengthening its patent estate and protecting its intellectual property rights and business interests also for the benefit of licensees. For instance, in 2011, KeyGene filed a patent infringement suit with the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon against Floragenex Inc. for infringement of U.S. Patent No. 7,935,488 protecting its selective restriction fragment amplification method.

"We are delighted with this most recent addition to our growing portfolio of proprietary NGS-based breeding applications, which recognizes our front-runner position as innovators of molecular marker technologies and strengthens our vision on Sequence-based Breeding”, states Michiel van Eijk, CSO of KeyGene. "We see substantial and concrete interest from the market and are eager to develop additional opportunities with academic and commercial partners in the Agricultural and Life Sciences sector”.