Senomyx Granted Patent for Bitter Blockers

Senomyx (San Diego) was granted US Patent No. 7,939,671, which includes composition-of-matter claims for a family of Senomyx’s bitter blockers and their use in all forms of foods and beverages, as well as in medicaments and other products. The patent was issued on May 10, 2011 and will be in force until January 17, 2029.

“The broad scope of our new patent underscores the wide-ranging market opportunity for Senomyx’s bitter blockers,” said CEO Kent Snyder. “A notable aspect of the new patent is the large variety of product applications included in the claims.” In addition to their use in food, beverage and pharmaceutical products, including RTD, concentrated and instant beverage formulations, the patent also covers the use of Senomyx’s bitter blockers in food supplements, nutraceuticals, functional foods, OTC medications, oral care products and more.

The newly issued patent includes specific claims directed to Senomyx’s S6821 bitter blocker, as well as other claims covering a number of analogs, including S7958. “Senomyx’s S6821 bitter blocker is currently being evaluated by our collaborators for possible future commercialization, and it has generated interest from potential new partners. We are very pleased that the new patent provides intellectual property protection and exclusivity in the marketplace for S6821, S7958, and numerous other bitter blockers for an extended period of time,” Snyder stated.

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