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Highlights

  • Japanese patent office moves Genflow’s SIRT6 application to national examination stage

  • Patent supports lead gene therapy programme targeting age-related diseases

  • Genflow holds exclusive commercialisation rights to invention from three US institutions

Genflow Biosciences PLC (LSE:GENF, OTCQB:GENFF) has announced progress in securing intellectual property protection for its core gene therapy technology in Japan, with the country’s patent office advancing a key application to the national examination stage.

The application relates to variants of the SIRT6 gene, which is associated with genomic stability, energy regulation in cells, and the biological ageing process. The technology underpins Genflow’s lead therapeutic programme aimed at addressing age-related diseases.

The patent was originally filed in May 2022 and is jointly owned by three prominent US research institutions: the University of Rochester, Columbia University, and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Genflow holds the exclusive global licence to develop and commercialise the invention.

SIRT6 is considered a crucial gene in the field of longevity research, playing a vital role in maintaining DNA integrity and regulating metabolic pathways that decline with age. The company’s therapeutic approach centres on using gene therapy to introduce improved versions of the SIRT6 gene, potentially reducing the impact of age-associated conditions.

The move to the national examination stage in Japan marks a significant milestone for Genflow as it seeks to expand its patent footprint across key global markets. Protection in Japan is viewed as particularly valuable given the country’s large ageing population and its advanced biotech industry.

Genflow, headquartered in Brussels, is listed on both the London Stock Exchange and the OTCQB market in the US. It is currently the only publicly traded company in Europe focused solely on the development of treatments that target the biological mechanisms of ageing.