- Icoria's 6th fungicide target patent reinforces proprietary target discovery
capability -
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Oct. 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Icoria,
Inc. (Nasdaq: ICOR), an integrated systems biology company, today announced
that it has been granted U.S. Patent No. 6,806,060, titled "Methods for the
Identification of Inhibitors of Threonine Synthase as Antibiotics." This
patent covers the discovery of a novel gene target for antibiotic development
in a biochemical pathway by which fungi produce threonine, a nutrient
necessary for fungal growth and development. The patent also covers methods
enabling the discovery of chemicals that inhibit protein activity within this
pathway. Chemical compounds discovered by Icoria's patented method may lead to
the development of novel, more effective, and less toxic fungicides, which are
highly sought after throughout the agricultural industry. Fungicide sales in
2003 were $6 billion worldwide and represented about 20% of global
agrichemical product sales.
"The issuance of this patent, the sixth in our fungicide target patent
portfolio, further demonstrates the utility of our proprietary TAG-KO
technology for identifying novel targets for fungicide discovery and
development," said Keith Davis, Ph.D., Vice President, Agricultural
Biotechnology. "This patented target extends our proprietary fungicide target
portfolio and increases our opportunity to develop new fungicides with novel
sites of action, which are very much in demand in the industry."
Davis continued, "To capitalize on our growing intellectual property in
this area, we are actively developing and implementing assays that will allow
us to identify new compounds that act on our patented fungicide targets. By
doing so, we are moving our research and discovery efforts further down the
product development chain. Fungicides represent an attractive product
development path with potential revenue from licensing and R&D
collaborations."
Icoria used its patented TAG-KO(R) technology (U.S. Patent Nos. 6,562,624
and 6,703,200) to identify the target in the threonine biosynthesis pathway.
The TAG-KO(R) patent covers methods for the rapid and systematic mutation of
pathogenic fungi, enabling the efficient identification of novel antifungal
and fungicide targets as well as novel biosynthetic and degradation pathways.
TAG-KO(R) technology may lead to new fungicides, human anti-fungal products,
and industrial products.
About Icoria
Icoria (formerly Paradigm Genetics, Inc.) is an integrated systems biology
company applying its proprietary platform to the discovery and development of
safer, more effective drugs and agrichemicals. Icoria has major contracts
with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Bayer
CropScience, the Monsanto Company, Pioneer Hi-Bred International (a subsidiary
of DuPont) and L'Oreal Inc. Icoria also has a major grant from the National
Institute of Standards & Technology's Advanced Technology Program. For more
information, visit http://www.icoria.com .
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including
statements regarding the Company's expectations for using its systems biology
platform. Such forward-looking statements are based on management's current
expectations and are subject to a number of risks, factors and uncertainties
that may cause actual results, events and performance to differ materially
from those referred to in the forward-looking statements. These risks, factors
and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, Icoria's early stage of
development, history of net losses, technological and product development
uncertainties, reliance on research collaborations, uncertainty of additional
funding and ability to protect its patents and proprietary rights. Certain of
these and other risks are identified in Icoria's annual report on Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2003 and in its quarterly report on Form 10-Q
for the quarter ended June 30, 2004, each filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. The Company does not intend to update any of the forward-
looking statements after the date of this release to conform these statements
to actual results or to changes in our expectations, except as may be required
by law.
SOURCE Icoria
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Related links:
http://www.icoria.com
CONTACT:
Brian Ritchie or Mark Vincent of EURO RSCG
Life NRP, +1-212-845-4200
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