Reforgene's TitanCas12i™ Gene-Editing Patents Granted in China and the United States

GUANGZHOU, Oct. 15, 2026 -- Reforgene Medicine today announced  that a key U.S. patent covering the company's TitanCas12i™ gene-editing tool was officially granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) . The corresponding Chinese family patent has also been granted. The patents disclose technology relating to newly discovered and engineered Cas12 proteins and their fusion proteins, as well as associated gene-editing applications, forming an important part of the global intellectual property portfolio for TitanCas12i™. Notably, the two independent claims of the U.S. patent cover, respectively, a novel Cas12 protein and a fusion protein or conjugate comprising a Cas12 protein. In both cases, the sequence scope of the relevant Cas12 protein is defined by at least 70% amino acid sequence identity to specified reference sequences.

TitanCas12i™ is a novel Cas12 editing tool developed by Reforgene using its TIPBAIG™ data-driven technology platform and related collaborative R&D outcomes. It was generated through AI-driven enzyme discovery and multiple rounds of protein engineering and optimization. Compared with commonly used Cas9 systems, TitanCas12i™ has a more compact protein size, distinct PAM-recognition characteristics, and sticky-end cleavage properties. It has demonstrated promising editing activity and specificity in the experimental systems evaluated to date, offering an additional tool option for delivery-system design, expanded target coverage, and specificity optimization in both in vivo and ex vivo gene-editing applications. Research on TitanCas12i™ and TitanCas12h™, another tool from the same platform, has been selected for poster presentation at the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT) 2026 Annual Meeting.

The newly granted U.S. patent resulted from a continuation-in-part (CIP) application related to international application PCT/CN2024/119862 and two earlier Chinese patent applications. Reforgene is continuing to expand patent coverage for the TitanCas12 tool platform in more than ten countries and regions, including China, the United States, Europe, and Japan, progressively building an intellectual property protection framework covering major global markets.

As part of this broader strategy, the U.S. patent application relating to TitanCas12h™ has also received a Notice of Allowance and Fee(s) Due from the USPTO; the remaining steps in the grant process are still pending.

Gene editing is a key technology in the life sciences, and CRISPR-Cas systems have rapidly become the most widely used gene-editing tools. As the biopharmaceutical industry advances toward commercialization, factors such as nuclease protein size, protospacer-adjacent motif (PAM) preference, editing characteristics, and patent protection and licensing pathways for therapeutic applications are increasingly important considerations in tool selection and product-development strategy. These considerations are driving continued exploration of next-generation CRISPR-Cas gene-editing tools.

The CRISPR-Cas12 family differs from systems such as Cas9 in classification and mechanism of action, and is attracting increasing attention in gene editing. From an intellectual property perspective, Cas12 technologies generally involve patent families and licensing pathways distinct from those associated with Cas9 and other systems. This may offer greater flexibility in freedom-to-operate (FTO) assessments and licensing strategies for therapeutic product development, giving developers more options in shaping their product strategies. Cas12 has therefore become an important direction for gene-editing tool development worldwide.

Reforgene continues to advance the development of its CRISPR tool family and its intellectual property portfolio around TitanCas12i™. The company is building a suite of editing tools with clearly defined claim boundaries and international IP competitiveness to support next-generation gene-editing applications and product development. TitanCas12i™ will complement the company's existing TitanCas12h™ editing system, base-editing and epigenome-editing technologies, and other tools, together supporting the systematic development of novel editing tools for a broad range of genomic applications. TitanCas12 tools have significant commercial potential across fields including genomic medicine, life-science research, functional validation, and the development of therapeutic technologies. Reforgene continues to unlock the platform's value through its in-house R&D capabilities and external collaborations.

As of the date of this press release, Reforgene has established a multi-layered patent portfolio across major jurisdictions worldwide for its gene-editing tool platforms and therapeutic product pipeline. The portfolio covers a range of gene-editing technologies, including Cas12, Cas13, base editing, and epigenome editing, strengthening the intellectual property foundation for the company's diversified technology platforms and product pipeline. Patents relating to a newly discovered Cas13 protein developed by the company have also been granted in the United States.

About the TitanCas12 Tools

The TitanCas12 tools are next-generation CRISPR-Cas tools developed by Reforgene using its TIPBAIG™ data-driven technology platform and related collaborative R&D outcomes. They currently include TitanCas12i™ and TitanCas12h™, two compact Cas protein tools that were newly discovered and optimized through protein engineering. These tools have been systematically optimized to address key requirements for gene-editing applications, including delivery, target coverage, and editing specificity, and have the potential to support applications in genomic medicine, life-science research, functional validation, therapeutic technology development, and related collaborations.

Reforgene has established an associated intellectual property portfolio for the TitanCas12 tool platform and holds exclusive worldwide rights to the relevant patents in the drug and therapeutic fields.