Genflow Biosciences PLC (LSE:GENF, OTCQB:GENFF)CEO Dr Eric Leire talked with Proactive about the company’s significant progress toward securing European patents for its SIRT6 variants, marking a major milestone. The patent, which mirrors an earlier US patent, covers the composition of matter for the SIRT6 gene variant, a discovery made alongside the University of Colombia, Rochester University, and the Albert Einstein School of Medicine.
Dr Leire explained that the SIRT6 variant was identified through research on a unique population of Jewish Ashkenazi centenarians, showing a mutation that boosts SIRT6 activity. Highlighting the gene's role in managing DNA damage and epigenomic changes, he noted, "We are in a safer position because we secure one of the very important competitive advantages over other longevity companies."
Genflow plans to apply this SIRT6 gene variant to age-related conditions such as Non-Alcoholic Steato Hepatitis (NASH), sarcopenia, and glaucoma, utilizing gene therapy tools to precisely target affected areas. Beyond human applications, Dr Leire mentioned an upcoming dog study focused on life extension and nerve cell preservation in ageing dogs, with an announcement expected soon.
As Genflow enters the national phase of patent preparation, Dr Leire emphasized the process is largely bureaucratic with minimal risk.
Proactive: Eric, very good to speak with you. You've moved closer to European patents for your SIRT6 variants. So, good news for the company, a big milestone?
Dr Eric Leire: Yeah, a big milestone. It's securing one of our competitive advantages, this exclusive license we have on this patent. Typically, when you move from USPTO, the US patent organization, to the European Patent Organization, you have additional questions. But for once, a very rare case, the European patent totally agreed with the US patent organization. So that's in the current context. That's very good news. It's also very good news for our company here.
Proactive: Tell us what the patent covers, Eric?
Dr Eric Leire: It's a composition of matter patents. Mostly it covers the sequence of nucleotides that compose the coding section of the SIRT6 variant. This variant is a mutation we identified with three US Universities: University of Colombia, Rochester University, and Albert Einstein School of Medicine. We sequenced a thousand people in a homogeneous population of Jewish Ashkenazi, among which 550 of the 1000 were centenarians—a very large number compared to a 450 control group.
We identified a mutation that was found only in centenarians. And these mutations conferred a huge benefit in terms of activity of SIRT6. So SIRT6 is part of the sirtuin family of genes. Those genes are very important because they are part of the genes that manage DNA damage, what we call epigenomic change. So all the change in your DNA when the DNA is broken, when the DNA is methylated. This gene plays a major role here.
Proactive: So what do you plan to do then with the SIRT6 and the patent?
Dr Eric Leire: We use this SIRT6 gene variant in multiple indications. As you know, longevity per se is not considered as an indication by any agency—FDA, MHRA, EMA. So we use this in pathologies linked to age like NASH (Non-Alcoholic Steato Hepatitis), an aging disease of the liver, fatty liver disease that evolves to cancer.
Against sarcopenia, the loss of muscle with age, glaucoma. In fact, we use these genes using different gene therapy tools to deliver up to the right target, to the right amount, without any off-target effect. But the benefit will be, of course, to increase the healthspan.
We use it, I mentioned the application in humans, but we also start a dog study and that will be an announcement very soon. To also use this gene for life extension in dogs and with an angle on the loss of nerve cells of aging dogs.
Proactive: So, Eric, what are the next steps then as you prepare for that patent?
Dr Eric Leire: The next step now is to move to a national phase. That's a costly phase. It's mostly bureaucratic. There's no risk here. You go country by country, you pay the fees, you discuss a little bit with an examiner, but it's on track and we are good. And again, we are in a safer position because we have secured one of the very important competitive advantages versus other longevity companies.
Proactive: I hope you'll keep us updated on any progress with that. And I'm sure we'll be chatting about that dog study very shortly.