Alzheimer's Club

ReGen Therapeutics Announces Grant of U.S. Patent on Use of Colostrinin(tm) to Promote Induction of Cytokines

"LONDON (10 August 2005) - ReGen Therapeutics Plc ('ReGen' or the 'Company'), a company whose product Colostrinin(tm) has shown efficacy as a potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease, announces that a patent on the use of Colostrinin(tm) as an inducer of cytokines has been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The patent is owned by the Board of Regents of the University of Texas System and is based upon long term research at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston, which has been sponsored by ReGen. UTMB has licensed the patented technology to ReGen under the world wide exclusive license agreement that exists between the two parties.

The new patent covers the use of Colostrinin(tm), its constituent peptides and analogues to promote cytokine induction. Cytokines are molecules that are involved in communication between cells.

Potential utility of this patent is expected to be welcomed by people with Alzheimer's disease, because 'the induction of cytokines can modulate the immune response in those patients' said Dr. Kruzel, Scientific Consultant to ReGen and Adjunct Professor at the UT Medical School at Houston.* He also added that the present invention provides a method of modulating an intracellular signalling that leads to reduction of cell damaging reactive oxygen species (ROS). Both are important in the context of Alzheimer's disease and may go some way to explain the clinical benefits shown to be associated with ColostrininTM in clinical studies'.

The grant of this patent adds further strength to the intellectual property portfolio owned by or licensed to ReGen. ReGen now holds rights to 5 different patents relating to Colostrinin(tm); one for the use of Colostrinin(tm) in Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative conditions (granted in 10 countries), one for its use as a dietary supplement in combination with other substances (granted in UK) and 3 UTMB 'mode of use' patents (granted in USA).

The Company has filed a number of other patent applications in relation to Colostrinin(tm) its constituent peptides and analogues and these are currently being evaluated by the relevant patent authorities.

Commenting on the latest patent grant, Chairman Percy Lomax said 'This is now the third granted US patent to come from our long standing association with UTMB and represents further progress in our development programme. It remains a pleasure to collaborate with such an excellent team of scientists.'

*Dr. Marian Kruzel is a faculty member at the Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, the University of Texas, Medical School at Houston. He is an internationally recognized immunologist with an established interest and expertise in inflammation and age-related pathophysiology. He is the recipient of numerous grants and a participant in NIH funded projects. Also he serves as a reviewer on several scientific journals, including Clinical and Experimental Immunology, Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters, and Journal of Experimental Therapeutics and Oncology. He is a former chairman of the board of the Cancer Coalition of America.

Through a consultancy agreement with the Company Dr. Kruzel is responsible to the Board for scientific research and development and management of the scientific aspects of future clinical development on behalf of the Company."

For more information, please contact Andrew Marshall, Marshall Robinson Roe, Tel No 020 7960 6007

Full Text of this Press Release is available at this link