Full Press Release Details
Announces the Issuance of 27 New Patents Protecting Stem Cell-Based
patents add to existing portfolio of over 700 issued and pending
patents and patent applications world wide owned or licensed to
BioTime or its subsidiaries
ALAMEDA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--August 10, 2015--BioTime, Inc. (NYSE
MKT:BTX) today announced that 27 new patents have issued during the
first half of 2015 that are owned or licensed to BioTime or its
subsidiaries. These new patents add to the portfolio of over 700 issued
and pending patents and patent applications world wide that are owned or
licensed to BioTime or its subsidiaries. The new patents include seven
new U.S. patents, as well as 20 additional patents issued in Europe,
Japan, Canada and Singapore.
"As a leader in regenerative medicine, the BioTime family of companies
commands the largest known patent estate covering the therapeutic uses
of pluripotent stem technology. BioTime has worked diligently to
strengthen this portfolio to protect our therapeutic programs from
unfair competition and drive value in corporate alliances," said Michael
D. West, Ph.D. BioTime's Chief Executive Officer.
Select examples of new patents issuing in the United States include:
United States patent 8,956,866 - "Retinal Pigment Epithelial
Cells Differentiated from Embryonic Stem Cells with Nicotinamide and
Activin A" discloses methods useful in the manufacture retinal pigment
epithelial (RPE) cells such as OpRegen , a
product in clinical development by BioTime's subsidiary, Cell Cure
Neurosciences, Inc. for the treatment of the dry form of age-related
macular degeneration.
United States patent 8,968,994 - "Method for Stem Cell Culture
and Cells Derived Therefrom" protects the culture of pluripotent stem
cells such as embryonic stem cells (ES cells) or induced pluripotent
stem cells (iPS cells) on positively-charged surfaces. Such surfaces
are commonly used in the scale-up of pluripotent stem cells or cells
United States patent 8,951,800 - "Primate Pluripotent
Stem Cell Expansion without Feeder Cells and in the Presence of FGF
and Matrigel or Engelbreth-Holm-Swarm Tumor Cell Preparation" protects
the culture of primate pluripotent stem cells in the presence of
fibroblast growth factor and cultured on matrices such as the
commonly-used product designated Matrigel.
United States patent 9,023,645 - "Isolated In Vitro
Cell Population Comprising Primate Pluripotent Stem Cells Containing a
Nucleic Acid Construct and Differentiated Progeny of the Pluripotent
Stem Cells" claims methods useful in eliminating undifferentiated
pluripotent stem cells from a product of diverse differentiated cells
such as neurons, liver, or heart muscle cells.
United States patent 9,029,145 - "Chondrogenic
Progenitor Cells, Protocol for Derivation of Cells and Uses Thereof"
claims a method for the manufacture of cartilage cells.
United States patent 8,987,213 - "Peptides That
Selectively Home to Heart Vasculature and Related Conjugates and
Methods" claims a method of targeting heart vasculature for the
delivery of therapeutics.
United States patent 9,062,289 - "Differentiation
of Primate Pluripotent Stem Cells to Cardiomyocyte-Lineage Cells"
claims methods for the manufacture of heart muscle cells
(cardiomyocytes) from human embryonic stem cells.
Additional patents issued internationally include: Canada patent number
2552288; France patent numbers 1337632, 1412481; Germany patent numbers
1337632, 1412481; Ireland patent numbers 1337632, 1412481; Italy patent
numbers 1337632, 1412481; Japan patent numbers 5685242, 5703028,
5711441, 5734836; Singapore patent numbers 184440; Spain patent numbers
1337632, 1412481; Switzerland patent numbers 1337632; 1412481; and UK
patent numbers 1337632 and 1412481.
BioTime, Inc., a pioneer in regenerative medicine, is a clinical-stage
biotechnology company. BioTime and its subsidiaries are leveraging their
industry-leading experience in pluripotent stem cell technology and a
broad intellectual property portfolio to facilitate the development and
use of cell-based therapies and gene marker-based molecular diagnostics
for major diseases and degenerative conditions for which there presently
are no cures. The lead clinical programs of BioTime and its subsidiaries
include OpRegen , currently in a Phase I/IIa
trial for the treatment of the dry form of age-related macular
degeneration; AST-OPC1, currently in a Phase I/IIa trial for
spinal cord injuries; Renevia , currently in a pivotal trial
in Europe as an injectable matrix for the engraftment of transplanted
cells to treat HIV-related lipoatrophy; and PanC-Dx cancer
diagnostics, nearing the completion of initial clinical studies for the
detection of lung, bladder, and breast cancers. AST-VAC2, a
cancer vaccine, is in the pre-clinical trial stage.
BioTime's subsidiaries include the publicly traded Asterias
Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NYSE MKT: AST), developing pluripotent stem
cell-based therapies in neurology and oncology, including AST-OPC1 and AST-VAC2; Cell
Cure Neurosciences Ltd., developing stem cell-based therapies for
retinal and neurological disorders, including OpRegen ; OncoCyte
Corporation, developing PanC-Dx cancer diagnostics; LifeMap
Sciences, Inc., developing and marketing an integrated online database
resource for biomedical and stem cell research; LifeMap Solutions, Inc.,
a subsidiary of LifeMap Sciences, developing mobile health (mHealth)
products; ES Cell International Pte Ltd, which has developed
cGMP-compliant human embryonic stem cell lines that are being marketed
by BioTime for research purposes under the ESI BIO branding
program; OrthoCyte Corporation, developing therapies to treat orthopedic
disorders, diseases, and injuries; and ReCyte Therapeutics, Inc.,
developing therapies to treat a variety of cardiovascular and related
BioTime common stock is traded on the NYSE MKT under the symbol BTX. For
more information, please visit www.biotimeinc.com or
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Forward-Looking Statements
Statements pertaining to future financial and/or operating results,
future growth in research, technology, clinical development, and
potential opportunities for BioTime and its subsidiaries, along with
other statements about the future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans,