Applied DNA Granted U.S. Patent Covering Methods of Utilizing DNA Tagged Submicron Particles for Authentication

- Claimed methods have applicability in the DNA tagging of pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and personal care excipients -

STONY BROOK, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: APDN) (“Applied DNA” or the “Company”) a leader in Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)-based DNA manufacturing, announced today that it has received United States Patent No. 10,920,274 entitled “Nucleic Acid Coated Submicron Particles for Authentication” from the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The newly issued patent strengthens the Company’s intellectual property position which includes 92 issued patents and 40 pending patent applications.

The claims of the issued patent cover methods of authenticating an object through the attachment and later authentication of submicron particles coated with a nucleic acid taggant. Claimed exemplary submicron particles include metal oxides, which encompass titanium dioxide and silicon dioxide that are commonly used as pharmaceutical and nutraceutical excipients for solid oral dosage forms and powdered formulations. In addition, submicron metal oxide particles are commonly used in the cosmetic industry.

“We are excited by our recent patent issuance, which we believe helps protect our CertainT® platform and its Signature® DNA molecular taggants as physical-chemical identifiers (PCID) for solid oral dosage forms and powders utilized in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical markets,” said Dr. James Hayward, President and CEO, Applied DNA. “While much of our recent focus has been on the biotherapeutic applications of our LinearDNA^TM platform, the global problem of counterfeit or adulterated pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals has not gone away with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. We continue to pursue the implementation of the CertainT platform in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical markets as an important business vertical with our industry partners.”

About Applied DNA Sciences, Inc.

Applied DNA is commercializing LinearDNA™, its proprietary, large-scale polymerase chain reaction (“PCR”)-based manufacturing platform that allows for the large-scale production of specific DNA sequences.

The LinearDNA platform has utility in the nucleic acid-based in vitro diagnostics and preclinical nucleic acid-based drug development and manufacturing market. The platform is used to manufacture DNA for customers as components of in vitro diagnostic tests and for preclinical nucleic acid-based drug development in the fields of adoptive cell therapies (CAR T and TCR therapies), DNA vaccines (anti-viral and cancer), RNA therapies, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) based therapies, and gene therapies. Applied DNA has also established a COVID-19 diagnostic and testing offering that is in the early stages of commercialization and is grounded in the Company’s deep expertise in DNA.

The LinearDNA platform also has non-biologic applications, such as supply chain security, anti-counterfeiting and anti-theft technology. Key end-markets include, textiles, pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals, and cannabis, among others.

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The Company’s common stock is listed on NASDAQ under ticker symbol ‘APDN’, and its publicly traded warrants are listed on OTC under ticker symbol ‘APPDW’.

Applied DNA is a member of the Russell Microcap® Index.

Forward-Looking Statements

The statements made by Applied DNA in this press release may be “forward-looking” in nature within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements describe Applied DNA’s future plans, projections, strategies and expectations, and are based on assumptions and involve a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of Applied DNA. Actual results could differ materially from those projected due to its history of net losses, limited financial resources, limited market acceptance, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, the risk of not obtaining necessary regulatory approval from U.S. FDA or equivalent foreign regulatory agencies and various other factors detailed from time to time in Applied DNA’s SEC reports and filings, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on December 17, 2020 and our subsequent quarterly report on Form 10-Q filed on February 11, 2021, and other reports we file with the SEC, which are available at www.sec.gov. Applied DNA undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, unless otherwise required by law.