Genflow Biosciences PLC (LSE:GENF, OTCQB:GENFF) has moved to strengthen its intellectual property in Asia by filing for examination of a patent covering genetic treatments for a severe liver disease in China.
The London-listed biotech, which focuses on longevity research, said the application concerned variants of the SIRT6 gene that it has developed to tackle non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH. The condition, which is linked to obesity and diabetes, causes progressive liver damage and has few effective treatments.
Eric Leire, Genflow’s chief executive, said: “The filing of this examination request in China represents another significant step in protecting our technology in one of the world’s largest healthcare markets.
"We are committed to advancing our research into SIRT6-based therapies and believe that our approach holds strong potential to transform the treatment landscape for NASH.”
Genflow is the only publicly listed longevity company in Europe and has similar intellectual property filings underway in other major healthcare markets.