15th Aug 2007 07:00
Stem Cell Sciences plc15 August 2007 Press Release15 August 2007 US PATENT & TRADEMARK OFFICE GRANTS STEM CELL SELECTION PATENT Stem Cell Sciences plc (SCS, AIM:STEM, ASX:STC), the global biotechnologycompany focused on the commercialisation of stem cells and stem celltechnologies, is pleased to announce that the US Patent & Trademark Office(USPTO) has granted a broad patent covering SCS' Stem Cell Selection technology(US Patent 7,256,041). Claims granted to SCS by the USPTO cover all methods ofpurifying any type of mammalian stem cell via any introduced gene and all stemcells purified by the method. All adult human stem cells and all human embryonicstem cells are covered by the claims which further extend the protection alreadysecured by SCS for Stem Cell Selection using cell surface antigens andfluorescent markers (US Patent 6,878,542), as well as antibiotic resistance (USPatent 6,146,888). Stem cell purification is an essential step in preparing stem cells for use inalmost all drug discovery and cell therapy applications. Without this step, theother (non-stem) cells in the population contaminate the stem cell sample,rendering it unsuitable for use. With the ever increasing importance of stemcells in the US biopharmaceutical industry, the extension of SCS' patentposition reinforces a key income stream and productivity advantage held by thecompany. Dr Peter Mountford, Chief Executive Officer of SCS said, "As pioneers in thestem cell industry, SCS has been able to secure very broad claims for thisfundamental and important technology. We expect further growth in licensingrevenues and are pleased to have secured a further competitive advantage forboth our exclusive and non-exclusive licensees of the technology." "The value of such fundamental, proprietary technology cannot be underestimated,particularly in such a competitive and rapidly growing industry. Stem CellSciences has always placed great emphasis on using patent law to maximiserevenue opportunity. This technology has been successfully defended in Europe'slargest ever patent office hearing and now the full breadth of claims has beenrecognised and granted in the USA as well. We look forward to building onfurther licensing opportunities in this substantial industry" he added. - Ends - For further information, please contact: Stem Cell Sciences plc (United Kingdom)Hugh Ilyine, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer +44 131 662 9829 Weber Shandwick FinancialLouise Robson or James White +44 207 067 0700 Stem Cell Sciences (Australia) pty ltdPeter Mountford, President and CEO +61 3 9905 0608 Talk BiotechFay Weston +61 4 2220 6036 Stem Cell Sciences llc (USA)George Murphy, Vice President Business Development +1 415 495 7340 Notes to Editors Stem Cell Selection explainedStem cells are usually isolated or grown as a mixture of different cell types,however, the preferred format for the great majority of drug discovery andclinical uses is pure preparations of stem cells. Stem cells have historically been purified by making use of proteins(antibodies) that bind specifically to other proteins that are only found on thesurface of stem cells. That is, stem cells have unique natural markers on theirsurface and antibodies can bind to these and enable scientists to pull them outof the mixture - typically one stem cell at a time. Unfortunately, many stem cells do not have appropriate markers on their surfaceand/or the number of stem cells that can be purified using this approach is toosmall for industrial scale use. The SCS technology works by placing a selectable marker into any stem cellspecific gene. The stem cell specific gene provides the machinery to make theintroduced selectable marker protein. The selectable marker protein can be anyone of a number of different types including fluorescent proteins or proteinsthat make cells resistant to certain chemicals that would otherwise normallykill them. Once the selectable marker has been introduced into the cells, only the stemcells in the mixture of cells glow green and these can be purified by selectingthe green cells. Alternatively, only stem cells in the mixture are resistant toa certain antibiotic and so on adding the drug to the mixture of cells, allcells except the stem cells die. The use of antibiotic selection is particularlypowerful as commercial scale purification of stem cells can be achieved simplyby adding a drug to the culture. Stem Cell Sciences plc (SCS, AIM: STEM, ASX: STC) is a global biotechnologycompany providing the biological infrastructure of cells and cell culture mediato the burgeoning stem cell research market. Stem Cell Sciences' core objective is to develop safe and effective cell-basedtherapies for currently incurable diseases. SCS retains all rights to itstechnology for therapeutic use and is targeting cell-based therapies forneurodegenerative disease and injury. Revenues from Stem Cell Sciences' research business are delivered via anintegrated network of business teams and regional offices in Edinburgh andCambridge (UK), Kobe (Japan), Melbourne (Australia) and San Francisco (USA).This global reach provides the Company with the direct access to markets throughexperienced personnel and local business networks needed to drive SCS's businessgrowth in each region. The key challenge for the successful application of stem cells in both researchand clinical applications is the reproducible supply of pure, fullycharacterized stem cells and stem cell-derived specialised cells such as nervesand muscle. This represents a significant technological challenge that willrequire access to multiple technologies and a globally integrated stem cellinitiative. To access cutting edge technologies on a rapid and on-going basis, Stem CellSciences has built an exceptional network of highly interactive collaborationswith academic centres of excellence in the stem cell field. These collaborationshave been the source of our founding technologies and continue to provide anexpanding pipeline of products and intellectual property that are central to theCompany's strategy and success. To facilitate research and technology transfer with its major collaboratingacademic institutions, Stem Cell Sciences' business and scientific teams areusually co-located on site or adjacent to the centre of excellence inindependent company facilities. The Company's key collaborating institutesinclude the Wellcome Trust Centre for Stem Cell Research (University ofCambridge), the Institute of Stem Cell Research (University of Edinburgh), RIKENCentre for Developmental Biology (Kobe) and the Australian Stem Cell Centre(Melbourne). Academic and commercial use of stem cells in basic research and drug discoveryprovides the Company with immediate and growing revenue streams and offsets thecost of technology development for full scale cell production of SCS cell-basedtherapeutics. For further information on the company please visit:www.stemcellsciences.com This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
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