SenzaGen secures patent protection for its GARDskin™ test in Europe
SenzaGen announces today that the European Patent Office (EPO) has granted a patent for GARDskin™, the company's recently launched test that determines whether chemical substances may induce skin allergies. GARD™ tests are significantly more reliable than traditional evaluation methods, and provide more comprehensive information on the allergy-inducing properties of the chemicals studied. Hence, GARD™ confers increased protection level for humans. The test is carried out in vitro, thus eliminating the need for animal testing.
The recently granted European patent covers the analytical methods and genetic signatures that form the foundation of SenzaGen´s proprietary GARDskin™ technology. The patent is valid until October 2031.
"This affirmation from the European Patent Office of the merits of our technology is an important milestone in SenzaGen's strategic plan to establish our unique GARDskin™ test as a new global standard for the industry. Robust patent protection in Europe for GARDskin™ further strengthens our company's commercial potential and makes us even more attractive to international distribution partners," says SenzaGen's CEO, Anki Malmborg Hager.
The announcement from the European Patent Office relates to European Patent No. 2,633077 B, entitled: "Analytical methods and arrays for use in the identification of agents inducing sensitization in human skin". Corresponding patent applications are currently being processed by the patent authorities in Brazil, Canada, China, Hong Kong, India, South Korea and the United States.
For more information please contact:
Anki Malmborg Hager, CEO, SenzaGen AB
Email: anki.malmborg.hager@senzagen.com
Telephone: +46 768 284822
About GARD™
GARD is a group of tests for assessing chemical skin sensitizers. The tests make use of genetic biomarkers for more than 200 genes which cover the entire immune reaction and are relevant to predicting the risk of hypersensitivity. The tests have up to 90% reliability.
This compares with the current predominant test method, experiments on mice, which has an accuracy of 70-75%. SenzaGen's tests are also capable of measuring the potency of a substance's allergenic properties. Consequently, GARD tests provide a much more comprehensive basis for determining whether a substance should be classified as an allergen than current testing methods.
About SenzaGen
SenzaGen makes it possible to replace animal experiments with in vitro genetic testing to determine the allergenicity of the chemicals we come into contact with in our daily lives, such as for example in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, food products and dyes. The company's patented tests are the most reliable on the market and provide more information than traditional evaluation methods. We ourselves sell the tests in Sweden and the USA, and we sell through partners in several other countries. Over the next few years the company will expand geographically, make alliances with more distribution partners and launch further unique tests. SenzaGen has its headquarters in Lund in Sweden and a subsidiary in San Francisco, USA. For more information visit www.senzagen.com
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