PASADENA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 19, 2005--Arrowhead Research Corporation
(NASDAQ: ARWR - News ; NASDAQ: ARWRW - News )
announced today that it has acquired a suite of patent and patent applications
covering nanosensor technology developed by Dr. Hermann Gaub, a Professor of
Biophysics at the Center for Nanoscience at Ludwig-Maximilians University in
Munich. Arrowhead and its subsidiaries now own or have licenses to over 250
U.S. and international patents and patent applications.
"Nanosensors are expected to radically change the
way we diagnose disease. Now, we go to the doctor's
office to have large samples of blood taken and then
wait for days to get the results from a remote laboratory," said
R. Bruce Stewart, President of Arrowhead. "With a
nanosensor-enabled device, tests could be performed
with a single drop of blood - and the results obtained
within minutes."
The
portfolio covers techniques for measuring biomolecular
interactions by single-molecule force spectroscopy.
As reported in "Science" in 2003, the devices are
sensitive enough to detect single-base pair mismatches
of DNA and have demonstrated significant improvement
over state-of-the-art instrumentation. The patent
applications also cover construction of parallel
assays for placing millions of sensors on a chip.
These patent and patent applications were acquired
for a di minimus cash payment and are complementary
to other patents to which Arrowhead already has rights.
About Arrowhead Research Corporation
Arrowhead Research is a nanotechnology company structured
to bring together a diverse and innovative mix of
technologies, rights to a broad suite of intellectual
property, and some of the most respected minds in
this dynamic field. There are three strategic components
to Arrowhead's business model:
- Forming or acquiring majority-owned subsidiaries
engaged in the development and commercialization
of nanoscale materials, devices, and systems.
- Funding of prototype development at universities
in exchange for the exclusive right to commercialize
resulting intellectual property.
- Acquisition, license and sublicense of intellectual
property in the field of nanotechnology.
Arrowhead Research operates four majority-owned
subsidiary companies:
- Aonex Technologies, Inc. is developing and commercializing
proprietary semiconductor nanomaterial technology.
- Insert Therapeutics, Inc. is developing and commercializing
proprietary nanometer-sized therapeutics.
- Nanotechnica, Inc. is developing capabilities
for mass-production of a variety of different,
proprietary nanoscale devices and systems.
- Calando, Inc. is developing nanostructures for
delivery of RNA interference.
Arrowhead is also funding three research efforts
in nanotechnology at Caltech in the areas of nanomaterials,
nanoelectronics, and nanobiomolecular tools.
Contact: Arrowhead Research Corporation R. Bruce Stewart, 626-792-5549 bruce@arrowres.com
Source: Arrowhead Research Corporation
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