News Kadimastem Obtains US Patent for Neurodegenerative Disease Stem Cell Technology Kadimastem Obtains US Patent for Neurodegenerative Disease Stem Cell Technology by Patricia Silva, PhD | March 21, 2017 Share this article: Share article via email Copy article link The United States has granted a patent toĀ Kadimastem’sĀ stem cell-based technology for treating multiple sclerosis (MS) and other diseases of the nervous system. The patent involves the technology the company used to produce supporting cells in the central nervous system derived from human stem cells, including myelin-producing cells. TheĀ United States Patent and Trademark OfficeĀ joined offices inĀ Europe andĀ Israel in patenting the technology. Kadimastemās technology can differentiate stem cells into oligodendrocytes, cells thatĀ produce myelin, the insulation for the neural wiring. In MS, the immune system destroys oligodendrocytes.Ā Kadimastem can also generate stem cell-derived astrocytes. They are neural supporting cells involved in neurodegenerative diseases. The technology, developed in Professor Michel Revelās laboratory at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Ā is owned by Yeda Research and Development Company. Yeda granted Kadimastem a license for exclusive use of the patent. Kadimastem is working on novel therapies for many diseases that are based on transplanting cells and tissues differentiated from stem cells. The patent expands the company’s U.S. intellectual property coverage in treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, including MS andĀ amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The company is in the midst of setting up a Phase 1/2a clinical trial of the safety and effectiveness of the technology in ALS. The trial will be under the supervision of the Israeli Ministry of Health. Kadimastem coordinated its trial plan with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). “With the company’s preparations for the first clinical trial of its unique product, the reinforcement of the company’s IP [intellectual property] is particularly important.Ā The United StatesĀ is a target market for the company’s products for several reasons, including regulatory (the reason why the company is coordinating the trial plan with the FDA), strategic collaborations, potential investors and market size. The patent granted inĀ the United StatesĀ is a substantial asset in each of these aspects,” Yossi Ben-Yossef, Kadimastem’s CEO, said in a press release. ProfessorĀ Michel Revel, the company’s chief scientist, added: “The granting of the patent is an international recognition of the uniqueness of the technology at the basis of the cell based treatment for ALS, which Kadimastem develops toward the upcoming clinical trial. The patent also has applications in additional nervous system diseases, and it reinforces the company’s position in the field.” Print This Page About the Author Patricia Silva, PhD PatrĆcia holds a PhD in medical microbiology and infectious diseases from the Leiden University Medical Center, Netherlands, and completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at the Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Lisbon, Portugal. Her work in academia was mainly focused on molecular biology and the genetic traits of infectious agents such as viruses and parasites. PatrĆcia earned several travel awards to present her work at international scientific meetings. She is a published author of several peer-reviewed science articles. Tags astrocytes, neurodegenerative diseases, oligodendrocytes, patent, stem cells, USPTO
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