USPTO grants patent to Stempeutics for stem cell drug Stempeucel

Biotech firm Stempeutics Research on Friday said United States Patent and Trademarks Office (USPTO) has granted patent to the company for its innovative stem cell drug Stempeucel for treating Critical Limb Ischemia.

Critical Limb Ischemia is a severe blockage in the arteries which results in reduced blood flow which in turn may result in poor quality of life with a high risk of leg amputation and death.

"The US patent is for the method of treating ischemia by administering pooled allogeneic mesenchymal stromal cells," Stempeutics Research said in a statement.

Stempeucel is derived from allogeneic pooled mesenchymal stromal cells extracted from the bone marrow of healthy, adult voluntary donors, it added.

"This very important patent comes at the right time, just ahead of our planned Pre-Investigational New Drug Application (PreIND) meeting with United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA)," Stempeutics CEO B N Manohar said.

The patent being granted by USPTO is a strong recognition for Stempeutics for its sustained excellence of scientific and clinical work and underscores the global leadership in allogeneic, pooled MSC technology, he added.

Stempeutics Research, a group company of Manipal Education and Medical Group, seeks to develop novel stem cell drugs addressing major unmet medical needs.