Business
Statement re: Issuance of Patent
Statement re: Issuance of Patent.
About this update from Proteome Sciences Plc
[{"type":"text","content":"\n \n PROTEOME SCIENCES plc \n\n PRESS RELEASE \n\n Issuance of US Stroke Patent \n\n11th December 2006. Proteome Sciences plc is pleased to announce the issuance\nof US Patent Number 7,144,705 entitled \"Diagnostic Assay for Stroke\". The\nclaims of the patent relate to methods of diagnosing stroke by measuring the\nlevels of heart fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP), one of Proteome Sciences'\nproprietary biomarkers discovered in the blood of stroke patients.\n\nThe presence of H-FABP in the blood of patients suffering from stroke was first\ndiscovered in 1999 by scientists working at the University of Geneva in a\ncollaboration with Proteome Sciences. The two parties have worked extensively\nsince that time to validate its utility for diagnosing and monitoring the\nprogression of stroke. This has resulted in the discovery of further protein\nbiomarkers, all of which are subject to patent applications in the major patent\njurisdictions including the US, Europe and the Far East, from which\ncombinations of stroke markers will be used to make panels for the diagnosis\nand prognosis of stroke in blood.\n\nProteome Sciences has previously announced four licensing agreements relating\nto its portfolio of stroke biomarkers. Its licensees continue to undertake\ntheir respective development programmes and the company looks forward to\nfurther progress with both existing and future licensees in 2007.\n\nCommenting on the issuance Christopher Pearce, Chief Executive of Proteome\nSciences said:\n\n\"The issuance of a US patent on one of our earliest biomarker candidates is a\nsignificant milestone for the company. It validates the patentability of\nproteomics biomarkers in the largest economic market and underpins the value\nand importance of our extensive intellectual property portfolio in protein\nbiomarkers.\n\nWe anticipate the issuance of further patents relating to H-FABP in other\nterritories following on from the US allowance and that the patent applications\nfor the other stroke biomarkers will proceed to grant.\n\nThe issuance of the first US patent relating to our stroke biomarkers will\nenhance the continuing licensing process and we expect that further of the\nmajor global players in clinical diagnostics will now want to include and\ndevelop our biomarkers as in vitro diagnostic tests.\"\n\n Ends \n\nNotes to editors:\n\nPro...