BRAIN Biotech AG: BRAIN-Engineered-Cas (BEC) Considered a Patentable Technology

DGAP-News: BRAIN Biotech AG / Key word(s): Patent
11.01.2022 / 18:50
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Zwingenberg, Germany, January 11th, 2022

BRAIN-Engineered-Cas (BEC) Considered a Patentable Technology

BRAIN Biotech AG received an international search report and a written opinion from the European Patent Office (EPO) as international searching authority (ISA). The favorable written opinion states that the BRAIN-Engineered-Cas (BEC) nucleases for which patent protection is sought under the Patent Corporation Treaty (PCT) with an earliest priority date of around 18 months ago are novel, are - with regard to the BEC nuclease sequences - inventive, are industrially applicable and are also not otherwise excluded from patent protection. Hence, the respective sequences of the BEC nucleases are considered patentable by the EPO.

This is a strong milestone in the regular patent filing process confirming the view of BRAIN's management and scientific team that the proprietary BEC technology is a novel and clearly differentiated genome-editing tool. The patent application and the search report are expected to be published by the WIPO shortly after January 21^st, 2022. After the publication the regular patent approval process including the opposition proceedings period after grant will take its course.

The BEC technology is already successfully employed today within the BioScience unit of the BRAIN Biotech AG in customer as well as own research projects. Its genome-editing capability has been proven in microorganisms which are important for industrial biotechnology applications and is currently developed for its additional application in plants and mammalian cells.

In addition to BEC, the company had announced the identification of around 2,000 so far untapped additional Class 2 CRISPR nucleases which have been identified in-silico and have the potential to be deployed for genome editing. With a focused investment approach BRAIN has analyzed a limited number in detail and already filed a first IP protection for 15 nucleases. As announced in December 2021, BMC01 is the first of these nucleases with proven functionality and demonstrated genome editing activities in microorganisms.

Lukas Linnig, CFO at BRAIN Biotech AG says: "The executive management and the scientific team have always been convinced that our proprietary genome-editing nuclease BEC is a differentiated and novel tool for the genome-editing industry. This position has been confirmed by the search report from the EPO and we now see BRAIN in a strong position to receive a granted patent at the end of the regular patent filing process. In addition, we continue to expand our proprietary toolset and scientific footprint in genome editing by researching and patenting further nucleases. BRAIN is clearly executing on its business plan to build a successful platform business in genome editing with significant economic potential."

About BRAIN

BRAIN Biotech AG ("BRAIN") is a leading European industrial biotechnology specialist with a focus on nutrition, health and the environment. As a technology and solutions provider the company supports the biologization of industries with bio-based products and processes. From contract R&D with industrial partners to advancing own disruptive incubator projects and customized enzyme products- BRAIN's broad cutting-edge biotech expertise and its agile teams are key to success.

BRAIN Biotech AG, Germany, is the parent company of the international BRAIN Group, distributing specialty B2B products like enzymes or bioactive natural products. The BRAIN Group has its own fermentation or production facilities in Germany, UK and the US, which together with the associated biotechnological solution competency complete the value chain within the group.

As a Participant of the United Nations Global Compact, BRAIN Biotech AG is committed to aligning strategies and operations with universal principles on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption and to actively advance common societal goals. Our products and services target at least five of the UN SDGs directly.

Since its IPO in 2016, BRAIN Biotech AG is listed in the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (ISIN DE0005203947 / WKN 520394).

Disclaimer

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements reflect the current views, expectations, and assumptions of the management of BRAIN Biotech AG, and are based on information currently available to the management.

Forward-looking statements are no guarantees of future performance, and entail both known and unknown risks as well as uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Numerous factors exist that could influence the future performance by, and future developments at, BRAIN Biotech AG and the BRAIN Group. Such factors include, but are not limited to, changes in the general economic and competitive environment, risks associated with capital markets, currency exchange rate fluctuations, changes in international and national laws and regulations, in particular with respect to tax laws and regulations, as well as other factors.

BRAIN Biotech AG does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements.

Contact Investor Relations
Michael Schneiders
Head of Investor Relations & Sustainability
Phone: +49 6251 9331-86
Email: mis@brain-biotech.com

Media Contact
Dr. Stephanie Konle
PR & Corporate Communications
Phone: +49 6251 9331-70
Email: stk@brain-biotech.com

Follow BRAIN Biotech on Twitter (@BRAINbiotech) and on LinkedIn (@BRAIN Biotech AG)

11.01.2022 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG.
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