CALGARY, AB--(Marketwired - May 19, 2015) - Hemostemix Inc. (the "Corporation") (TSX VENTURE: HEM), a clinical-stage autologous cell-therapy company, announced today that it received a Notice of Allowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for patent application 13/970,807 entitled "Regulating Stem Cells." The patent covers a method for generating therapeutic cell products, including the company's lead product ACP-01, from a simple draw of peripheral blood, which is the flowing, circulating blood in the human body. The Hemostemix technology enables proprietary cells grown from a patient's blood to be injected into that patient's diseased tissue to support the formation of new blood vessels.
This patent, the third within the Hemostemix intellectual property estate that will be issued by the USPTO, is part of a broad technology platform now protected by more than 40 patents issued in major markets, including the United States, the European Union, Japan, and China. The company continues to actively file and prosecute patents around all aspects of its technology in support of its global commercialization plans.
"This Notice of Allowance is a significant building block of our intellectual property strategy, which is designed so that we can fully exploit the fundamental value of our ongoing research and development for ACP-01, both at our research and manufacturing facility in Ness Ziona, Israel, and via collaborations," said Dr. Ina Sarel, vice president of research and development at Hemostemix.
"Receiving the Notice of Allowance helps pave the way for Hemostemix to expand into the U.S. drug market," said Dr. Elmar Burchardt, president and CEO of Hemostemix. "With this patent, we have an important foundation for initiating clinical development activities in the U.S., as Hemostemix intends to submit an Investigational New Drug (IND) application to the U.S. Federal Drug Administration (FDA) within the next few weeks."
Previously on May 11, 2015, Hemostemix announced its engagement with Stonegate Capital Partners, Inc. for strategic investor relations services in the U.S. institutional investment community. The engagement is for a term of 12 months, with a provision for early termination if required. The company will pay Stonegate US$5000 per month for its services for a minimum of three months.
About Hemostemix
Hemostemix is a public 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 potential breakthrough stem-cell therapy in an international, multicenter, phase-2 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-2 trial targets a participant's diseased tissue with proprietary cells that are grown from his or her blood and capable of supporting the formation of new blood vessels. Hemostemix currently enrolls participants in the phase-2 trial at four sites in South Africa and two sites in Canada.
Hemostemix Inc. is traded on the TSX Venture Exchange under the trading symbol HEM. For more information, visit hemostemix.com or email office@hemostemix.com.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange, Inc. 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. 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.
