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Integral Molecular Announces Patent Allowance for its Membrane Protein Lipoparticle Technology

PHILADELPHIA–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Integral Molecular, a leader in membrane protein reagents and services, announces the issuance of a key patent protecting its methodology for generating Lipoparticles, which provide highly-concentrated membrane proteins in their native conformation for antibody and drug discovery applications focused on membrane protein targets such as G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), ion channels, and transporters.

“Lipoparticles are a nano-scale technology that allows complex membrane proteins to be concentrated and manipulated as essentially soluble proteins,” said Dr. Joseph Rucker, Director of Research and Development at Integral Molecular and an inventor on the patent. “Our exclusive methodology for Lipoparticle production and purification provides the ability to generate exceptionally pure and highly stable membrane protein reagents that are ideal for antibody discovery, high-throughput screening, and detailed protein characterization.”

US Patent No. 8,158,130, Doms et al., was issued by the U.S. Patent Office on April 17, 2012 to the University of Pennsylvania and represents a continuation of a previous patent describing the composition of Lipoparticles. Integral Molecular is the exclusive, world-wide licensee of both patents, making Lipoparticle technology available only from Integral Molecular. Additional patents covering the Lipoparticle are pending.

Integral Molecular offers custom-produced Lipoparticles with user-specified membrane proteins on a fee-for-service basis, as well as ReadyReceptor Lipoparticles that ship quickly and contain pre-validated high-concentration membrane protein targets. Each lot of Lipoparticles is quality controlled and provided with technical protocols for relevant applications. These include antibody screening, biosensor assays, and ELISA binding assays. Lipoparticles can be biotinylated or fluorescently labeled to accommodate specialized applications.

Integral Molecular Announces Lipoparticle Distribution in Japan by Funakoshi

PHILADELPHIA–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Integral Molecular, a leader in membrane protein reagents and services, announces an exclusive agreement with Funakoshi for the distribution of Integral Molecular’s catalog of concentrated membrane protein “Lipoparticle” products in Japan. This agreement enables customers in Japan to have direct access to these high quality membrane protein reagents.

Integral Molecular’s Lipoparticle technology represents a stable, cell-free solution for displaying native conformations of highly concentrated membrane proteins for antibody and drug discovery applications. Lipoparticle targets span each major membrane protein class, such as GPCRs and ion channels, and include well established drug targets like the beta-2-adrenergic receptor and chemokine receptor CXCR4.

“This partnership with Funakoshi will provide scientists in the growing Japanese research community direct access to our technology,” said Dr. Benjamin Doranz, president of Integral Molecular. “Funakoshi is an ideal partner for us in Japan, with an extensive distribution network, strong marketing strategies, and excellent customer support.”

“Funakoshi is pleased to secure the exclusive rights to distribute Integral Molecular Lipoparticles to customers in Japan. Integral Molecular Lipoparticles complement our extensive offerings of life sciences research reagents that meet high demands for basic bioscience research and also for the pharmaceutical research in Japan,” said Dr. Ryoya Funakoshi, President & CEO of Funakoshi Company, Ltd.

Integral Molecular offers custom-produced Lipoparticles with user-specified membrane proteins on a fee-for-service basis, as well as ReadyReceptor Lipoparticles that ship quickly and contain pre-validated high-concentration membrane proteins. Each lot of Lipoparticles is quality controlled and provided with technical protocols for relevant applications. These include antibody screening, biosensor assays and ELISA binding assays. Lipoparticles can be biotinylated or fluorescently labeled to accommodate specialized applications.

Integral Molecular to Expand its Headquarters at the Science Center in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA, PA, November 15, 2010 — Integral Molecular, Inc. and the University City Science Center announced today that Integral Molecular has signed a 10-year lease at the Science Center’s research park, maintaining its headquarters in Philadelphia. Integral Molecular will be expanding its operations from the Science Center’s Port business incubator to 10,000 square feet of custom-designed, state-of-the-art lab and office space. Integral Molecular’s new facility at 3711 Market Street will more than double its current space. Integral Molecular is a platform-based biotechnology company that is committed to providing innovative products and services to leading biotech and pharmaceutical companies.

Since being launched at the Science Center in 2001, Integral Molecular has grown to occupy roughly half of the incubator space at 3701 Market Street. Integral Molecular decided to stay at the Science Center due to its proximity to key resources and collaborators at nearby universities, its convenient central location with easy access for employees, and available tax incentives. Integral Molecular’s decision to stay at the Science Center ensures that several dozen high- tech jobs will remain in the City of Philadelphia.

“The Science Center has been a source of support from our inception and has enabled us to grow at a sustainable pace for the last nine years,” says Benjamin Doranz, co-founder and CEO of Integral Molecular. “We couldn’t have started without them, and we’re pleased to be able to continue our relationship with them as we expand into 3711 Market. Our expansion represents an exciting time for Integral Molecular that will allow us to keep up with customer demand for our products and services while continuing to develop additional products focused on cellular and viral membrane proteins.”

“Our goal in incubating companies is to provide them with the support they need so they can focus on growing their businesses,” says Science Center President & CEO Stephen S. Tang, Ph.D. “Not only are we thrilled to see Integral Molecular reach this milestone, but we are especially pleased that they have chosen to remain at the Science Center. Their presence here contributes to the vibrancy of our campus and University City. In addition, it highlights the role of the Science Center as a catalyst for economic development in the City and region. “

Integral Molecular Announces Key Patent Issued on Lipoparticle Technology for Deriving High Concentrations of Cell-free Membrane Proteins

PHILADELPHIA–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Integral Molecular, Inc. today announced the issuance of a key patent covering its technology for deriving high concentrations of membrane proteins. The patent, issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, covers the core composition of Integral Molecular’s Lipoparticle technology, a novel cell-free format for deriving highly-concentrated membrane proteins for antibody development, drug discovery, and biomedical research. Integral membrane proteins, such as G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and ion channels, comprise about a third of existing drug targets, and Lipoparticles provide a means of isolating and characterizing antibodies and drugs against these proteins. Lipoparticle technology stems from research conducted at the University of Pennsylvania and published in the journals Science, PNAS, and Journal of Virology.

“The Lipoparticle overcomes some of the fundamental biological limitations of studying membrane proteins by concentrating the proteins and allowing them to be manipulated as essentially soluble proteins,” said Dr. Joseph Rucker, Director of Research and Development at Integral Molecular and an inventor on the patent. “The Lipoparticle platform allows for antibody discovery, high-throughput screening, and protein structural analysis of important cell receptors, all without the use of live cells.”

US Patent No.: US 7,763,258, Doms et al., was issued by the U.S. Patent Office on July 27, 2010 to the University of Pennsylvania. Integral Molecular is the exclusive, world-wide licensee of this patent, and licensed Lipoparticle technology is available only directly from Integral Molecular.

Custom-produced Lipoparticles with user-specified membrane proteins are offered by Integral Molecular on a fee-for-service basis. Each lot of Lipoparticles is quality controlled and provided with technical protocols for relevant applications, including antibody screening, binding assays, and biosensor assays. Small scale Lipoparticle kits are also available for evaluation. Lipoparticles can be ordered biotinylated or fluorescently labeled to accommodate end-user applications.

Integral Molecular Awarded $9.1 Million Contract from NIAID to Map Epitopes on Viral Pathogens using Shotgun Mutagenesis Mapping Technology

PHILADELPHIA–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Integral Molecular, Inc. has been selected to receive a five year, $9.1 million contract from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, to elucidate novel B cell epitopes on the surface of viral pathogens. Integral Molecular’s Shotgun Mutagenesis Mapping technology will be used to identify both linear and conformational epitopes on viral envelope proteins. By helping to define the full range of immunodominant structures on viral pathogens, Shotgun Mutagenesis will facilitate the design and development of improved vaccines against emerging infectious diseases. This is the second NIH award recently received by Integral Molecular for epitope mapping services.

“Understanding the full range of viral epitopes targeted by the human immune system is vital to designing better viral vaccines,” said Dr. Benjamin Doranz, President of Integral Molecular. “This project will result in hundreds of new human antibodies against important viral proteins, high resolution epitope maps describing how these antibodies bind to their targets, and structural information about how these viral proteins function.”

“We are extremely excited to have generated inhibitory MAbs that target P2X3. This is an exciting advancement for the chronic pain field where there are limited therapeutic options,” said Joseph Rucker, Director of Research and Development at Integral Molecular. “Because of their structural complexity and conservation, ion channels have been exceptionally challenging to target and inhibit and these P2X3 MAbs represent some of the few inhibitory antibodies against any ion channel. We are eager to move this campaign forward and progress our most promising leads into development to treat neuropathic pain”.

Shotgun Mutagenesis Mapping analyzes hundreds to thousands of variants of a target protein, each variant containing a unique amino acid substitution, to rapidly identify the binding residues that form antibody epitopes. This technology is well suited for epitope mapping viral envelope proteins, which usually form complex oligomeric structures and contain post-translational modifications that require expression within mammalian cells to retain their native conformation. Because Shotgun Mutagenesis maps functional proteins directly within living human cells, target proteins do not require purification or extraction from their native environment.