New Patent Further Expands the Clinical Applications of the Company's Proprietary Thermotherapy Systems by Offering a Novel Opportunity to Treat Liver, Prostate and Other Cancers
COLUMBIA, MD and TORONTO--(Marketwired - July 31, 2013) -
Medifocus, Inc. (OTCQX: MDFZF) (TSX VENTURE: MFS) is pleased to announce it has obtained a newly allowed patent, which, together with several other patents already issued to Medifocus, has the potential to significantly broaden the clinical applications of the targeted thermotherapy systems and devices developed based on the Company's two proprietary technology platforms. These technology platforms are also protected by a comprehensive intellectual property portfolio consisting of over 100 issued and pending US and foreign patents.
This new patent was granted on July 2, 2013 by the US Patent and Trademark Office to John Mon, Chief Operating Officer of Medifocus, Inc., and has been assigned to Medifocus. The title of the patent is "Pre-Conditioning/Fixation for Disease Treatment Heat Activation/Release with Thermo-Activated Drugs and Gene Products." The patent covers a new approach for administering thermal ablation using microwaves and radiofrequencies to a limited, defined area of a patient's body. The patent outlines the design of various interstitial and intra-cavitary thermal ablation applicators with catheter conduit and access ports to enable the simultaneous delivery, activation, and release of temperature sensitive (TS) therapeutic agents, both at the tumor and within the surrounding tumor margin. Using this new approach, the desired treatment result of complete tumor ablation with a clean margin may be achieved.
This new patent, together with another patent issued in February 2013 on using the Prolieve Thermodilatation System and other Endo-thermotherapy systems and devices to enable the activation of genes and drugs at tumor sites for treatment, and a third Medifocus patent covering the use of the Company's APA focused heating systems and devices to activate temperature sensitive genes and drugs for treatment of surface, sub-surface and deep seated regional cancer and other diseases, could form the core of a third technology platform leading to special devices and systems to mediate disease-targeted drug and gene therapy with on/off control for treatment of cancer and other targeted diseases.
Augustine Cheung, Chief Executive Officer of Medifocus, Inc., commented, "We believe, with the addition of these patents to our comprehensive IP portfolio, Medifocus, either working alone, and/or in conjunction with strategic partners worldwide, is positioned to begin a concerted effort to further develop and commercialize targeted therapy for cancers and other diseases with minimal or no side effect and vastly improved treatment efficacy. Successful development may lead to many new products capable of restoring patients to full health for use in the future of medicine."
About Medifocus, Inc.
Medifocus owns two fully developed technology platforms with comprehensive US and international patent protection: (1) The Endo-thermotherapy Platform-a catheter-basis focused heat technology platform that utilizes natural body openings to deliver precise microwave thermotherapy to the diseased sites. The U.S. FDA approved Prolieve Thermodilatation System for the treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia ("BPH") was developed based on the Endo-thermotherapy and is currently generating revenue, and (2) The Adaptive Phased Array (APA) Microwave Focusing Platform-invented by MIT, licensed to Medifocus, directs precisely focused microwave energy at tumor center to induce shrinkage or eradication of tumors without undue harm to surrounding tissue. The Company's APA 1000 Breast Cancer Treatment System, developed from the APA technology platform has received approval from the U.S. FDA and Health Canada to conduct the pivotal Phase III clinical trials. The Company believes that these two technology platforms can provide the design basis for the development of multiple cancer treatment systems for surface, subsurface and deep seated localized and regional cancers. Please visit www.medifocusinc.com, www.prolieve.com and http://www.facebook.com/pages/Medifocus-Inc-Company-Page/546315028715627 for more details.
Forward-Looking Statements and Information
This news release contains "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information", which may not be based on historical facts. Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information, include, but are not limited to, information and statements with respect to the benefit to Medifocus's future growth resulting from the acquisition of additional intellectual property rights, additional treatment possibilities and the expectation that sales from Prolieve® may accelerate as a consequence. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan," "expect," "project," "intend," "believe," "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made. Such forward-looking statements and forward-looking information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results events or developments to be materially different from any future results, events or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information. These factors should be considered carefully and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any obligation to update any such factors or to publicly announce the results of any revisions to any of the forward-looking statements or forward-looking information contained herein to reflect future results, events or developments.
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