Genentech And WRF's Yeast Expression Technology Awarded Further Patents

Washington Research Foundation (WRF; Seattle, WA) and Genentech, Inc. (South San Francisco, CA) have been awarded two biotechnology patents by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. U.S. Patent Nos. 5,854,018 and 5,856,123, relate to the production of recombinant proteins in yeast. Yeast expression systems are used extensively in the manufacture of drugs, industrial enzymes and consumer products.

The two patents are continuations of U.S. Patent No. 5,618,676 (issued Apr. 8, 1997) which claims recombinant protein expression in the yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. All three U.S. patents will expire in 2014. The new patents are broader, as they claim processes and materials for expression of proteins in recombinant yeast systems generally. Commonly-used recombinant yeast systems include Saccharomyces, Kluyveromyces, Pichia and Hansenula.

The yeast expression system was jointly developed by teams of scientists at Genentech and the University of Washington, and the original patent application was filed in 1981. The patent family, "Expression of Polypeptides in Yeasts," is co-owned by Genentech and WRF, which acquired rights to the patent family from the University of Washington.

For more information: Genentech Corp., 460 Point San Bruno Boulevard, South San Francisco, CA 94080. Telephone: 650-225-1000.