Agile Sciences Announces Issuance of U.S. Patent for Biofilm Dispersing Compounds

RALEIGH, NC, March 06, 2011 (Press-News.org) Agile Sciences, a Centennial Campus company focused on commercializing technologies to inhibit and disperse biofilms, has received notice that its first licensed patent has been approved by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. U.S. Patent No. 7,987,631, entitled "Inhibition and Dispersion of Bacterial Biofilms with Imidazole-Triazole Derivatives," was issued on March 1, 2011. The patent covers the composition and use of compounds exclusively licensed by Agile Sciences from NC State University.

"It is very exciting to report the issuance of this first patent, which serves as the cornerstone to our expanding intellectual property portfolio," said Agile co-founder and NC State Associate Professor of Chemistry, Dr. Christian Melander.

Agile Sciences' proprietary molecules grew out of research by two NC State professors -- Melander and Dr. John Cavanagh, William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor of Molecular and Structural Biochemistry. The pair discovered that their molecules, derived from the Agelas conifera sea sponge, showed great promise in combating antibiotic-resistant infections. Published studies show the compounds break up harmful bacterial accumulations called biofilms, causing the bacteria to revert to a single-celled state that can be destroyed by antibiotics.

The Agile Sciences compounds are particularly effective against bacterial infections that are resistant to common antibiotics, including MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus).

"We anticipate that additional patents covering our proprietary compounds' composition of matter and fields of use will be issued soon and further strengthen our commercial development efforts," noted Agile Sciences Director of Operations, Dr. Eva Garland."

About Agile Sciences:
Agile Sciences is headquartered on North Carolina State University's Centennial Campus. The company was founded in 2007 by Professors Christian Melander and John Cavanagh of North Carolina State University (NCSU) to provide commercial solutions to those industries plagued by the effects of biofilms. The company's proprietary compounds are derived from the Agelas conifera sea sponge and have been shown to be effective in dispersing biofilms. For additional information, please visit: http://www.agilesci.com.

About Centennial Campus and NC State University
Centennial Campus (http://www.centennial.ncsu.edu) is an internationally recognized 1,314-acre research park and technology campus owned and operated by North Carolina University. Home to more than 60 corporate, government and non-profit partners, such as Red Hat, ABB, and the USDA, collaborative research projects vary from nanofibers and secure open systems technology to serious gaming and biomedical engineering. Four university college programs also have a significant presence on campus - College of Engineering, College of Veterinary Medicine, College of Textiles and the College of Education. NC State is one of the top research universities in the country, with expenditures in research approaching more than $325 million annually. The university ranks third among all public universities (without medical schools) in industry-sponsored research expenditures. (http://www.ncsu.edu)