CALGARY, Alberta, May 23, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hemostemix Inc. (“Hemostemix” or the “Company”) (TSX VENTURE:HEM) is pleased to announce that it has been granted a new patent in the European Union (the “EU”) for its patent entitled “Regulating Stem Cells”.
The EU Patent and Trademark Office has granted patent number EP1833962 “Regulating Stem Cells”, which is part of a family of patents the Company has in its extensive patent portfolio. This patent has previously been granted in Canada and the United States and covers a method for generating therapeutic precursor cell products, including the Company’s lead product ACP-01. These precursor cells are generated from a core population of cells named “Synergetic Cell Population” (“SCP”) cells. SCP cells have the capacity to grow new blood vessels, and with Company’s proprietary cell-culturing processes, can give rise to other cell types, such as cardiomyocyte-like and neural-like precursor cells, which could be used to treat cardiovascular and neural indications. The Company’s patented processes enables proprietary cells grown from a patient’s own blood to be injected back into that same patient’s diseased tissue in order to restore function. As previously disclosed, the Company is currently undergoing a Phase II clinical trial for critical limb ischemia (“CLI”) in Canada and the United States for its lead product ACP-01.
Having this patent awarded in the EU is significant as it provides validation in multiple countries. In addition, the EU patent is important as the European stem cell market is one of the most rapidly growing markets in the world. According to a Mordor Intelligence report entitled “Europe Stem Cell Market Growth, Trends and Forecasts (2016-2021)”, the market is currently valued at US$4.2 billion and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 15.7% over a forecast period.
“The newly granted patent covers important aspects of Hemostemix’s platform technology and this issuance strengthens our intellectual property portfolio, particularly in the EU. This provides the platform to expand our clinical trials, commercialization and partnering efforts throughout Europe.” states Dr. Ravi Jain, the Company’s Chief Scientific Officer.
“Hemostemix has now had the door opened to expand its technology and operations on a world stage. We are very excited about the opportunities that this patent will allow us to pursue, especially since the European stem cell market is significant and growing,” states Kyle Makofka, Hemostemix’s Chief Executive Officer.
The Company has a broad and growing patent portfolio which covers 5 patent families with over 50 patents issued and pending in several important jurisdictions, including the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan and China.
ABOUT HEMOSTEMIX INC.
Hemostemix is a publicly traded clinical-stage biotechnology company that develops and commercializes innovative blood-derived cell therapies for medical conditions not adequately addressed by current treatments. It is the first clinical-stage biotech company to test a stem-cell therapy in an international, multicenter, Phase II clinical trial for patients with critical limb ischemia (“CLI”), a severe form of peripheral artery disease (“PAD”) caused by reduced blood flow to the legs. The Phase II trial targets a participant’s diseased tissue with proprietary cells grown from his or her blood that can support the formation of new blood vessels. The Company’s intellectual property portfolio includes over 50 patents issued or pending throughout the world. Hemostemix has a manufacturing contract with Aspire Health Science, LLP (“Aspire”), for the production of ACP-01 and for research and development purposes at Aspire’s Orlando, Florida, facility. Building towards commercialization, Hemostemix has also licensed the use, sale and import of ACP-01 for certain indications to Aspire in certain jurisdictions. The Company is continuing research and development of its lead product, ACP-01 with other applications, including cardiovascular, neurological and vascular indications.
For more information, please visit www.hemostemix.com or email office@hemostemix.com.
Contact:
Kyle Makofka, President and CEO
Suite 1049, 150 – 9th Avenue S.W.
Calgary, Alberta T2P 3H9
Phone: (403) 506-3373
E-Mail: kmakofka@hemostemix.com
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined under the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words “expects”, “plans”, “anticipates”, “believes”, “intends”, “estimates”, “projects”, “potential”, and similar expressions, or that events or conditions “will”, “would”, “may”, “could”, or “should” occur. Although Hemostemix believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates, and opinions of Hemostemix management on the date such statements were made. By their nature forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause actual results, events or developments to be materially different from any future results, events or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the Company’s stage of development, future clinical trial results, long-term capital requirements and future ability to fund operations, future developments in the Company’s markets and the markets in which it expects to compete, risks associated with its strategic alliances and the impact of entering new markets on the Company’s operations. Each factor should be considered carefully and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Hemostemix expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.