Macrogen said that it has registered a patent for AXL-MBIP, a fusion gene that causes lung adenocarcinoma, in Korea.

Macrogen first won the patent in Europe last May and has also completed the registration of the patent in seven European countries -- France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland.

The patent describes a method for using the AXL-MBIP fusion gene as a biomarker for cancer diagnosis and anticancer drug screening. The AXL-MBIP fusion gene is the combination of the mannose-binding lectin (MBL) gene and the AXL receptor tyrosine kinase (AXL) gene involved in cancer metastasis, recurrence, and drug resistance. It is observed explicitly in lung adenocarcinoma patients.

A collaborative research team from Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, and College of Medicine at the Catholic University of Korea first found such workings in 2012.

At the time, the team conducted a large-scale lung adenocarcinoma genome analysis on 200 Koreans using next-generation sequencing and announced the discovery of 12 species.

“The patented technology is significant in that it offers new customized diagnostics and treatments for about 40 percent of people with lung adenocarcinoma who depended on empirical treatment because their causal gene mutation was unknown,” the company said. “Also, the technology is likely to play an important biomarker in solving the resistance problem of existing anticancer drugs targeting AXL genes.”

Macrogen CEO Yang Kap-seok also said, “We have obtained local patents following European patents, which demonstrated our superiority at home and abroad. Macrogen will continue to discover high-availability biomarkers and develop clinical, commercial cancer panels with biomarkers.”

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