14/02/2005
ReGen Therapeutics Plc (“ReGen” or the “Company”), a company whose product Colostrinin(tm) has shown efficacy as a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, announces that a patent on the use of Colostrinin(tm) as a promoter of neuronal cell differentiation has been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The patent is owned by the Board of Regents of the University of Texas System and is based upon long term research at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston, which has been sponsored by ReGen. UTMB has licensed the patented technology to ReGen under the world wide exclusive license agreement that exists between the two parties.
The new patent covers the use of Colostrinin(tm), its constituent peptides and analogues to promote neuronal cell differentiation. The selective loss of nerve cells in the hippocampus, a region of the brain associated with memory, is a key feature in the pathogenesis of severe neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease. Consequently, any treatment that can stimulate the production and maturation of nerve cells may be useful in preventing or slowing these disease processes. Potential utility of this patent is expected to be welcomed by people with Alzheimer’s disease, because “the invention provides a method to promote differentiation and subsequent conversion of potentially damaged cells to functional neuronal cells”, said Dr. Kruzel, Scientific Consultant and Adjunct Professor at UT Medical School at Houston.*
In 2004 ReGen made four major scientific announcements regarding the molecular basis of how Colostrinin(tm) might work, including the demonstration of its in vivo neuroprotective effects. The grant of this patent adds further strength to the intellectual property portfolio owned by or licensed to ReGen. ReGen presently holds rights to four other patents issued since 2000 relating to the use of Colostrinin(tm) to treat Alzheimer’s disease, other similar disease conditions and as a dietary supplement in combination with other substances. The Company has filed a number of other patent applications in relation to Colostrinin(tm) its constituent peptides and analogues and these are currently being evaluated by the relevant patent authorities.
Commenting on the latest patent grant, Chairman Percy Lomax said “This is an extremely pleasing start to 2005. We are delighted to collaborate with such an excellent team of scientists at UTMB and thank them for the contribution they have made and are continuing to make to the activities of ReGen.”
*Professor Marian Kruzel is a faculty member of the Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, the University of Texas, Medical School at Houston. He is an internationally recognized immunologist with an established interest and expertise in inflammation and age-related pathophysiology. He is the recipient of numerous grants and a participant in NIH funded projects. Also he serves as a reviewer on several scientific journals, including Clinical and Experimental Immunology, Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters, and Journal of Experimental Therapeutics and Oncology. He is a former chairman of the board of the Cancer Coalition of America.
Through a consultancy agreement with the Company Prof. Kruzel is responsible to the Board for scientific research and development and management of the scientific aspects of future clinical development on behalf of the Company.