Stempeutics, a group company of Manipal Education and Medical Group in which Cipla Ltd holds a 49% stake, is the first company in the world to be granted a EU process patent for an allogeneic stem cell drug based on pooling technology.
Mumbai: Bengaluru-based biotechnology firm Stempeutics Research Pvt Ltd has secured a process patent from the European Patent Office for its novel drug Stempeucel, which is indicated for treatment of a rare condition of reduced blood flow to the limbs, a company official said.
The condition, called Critical Limb Ischemia, is caused by Buerger’s disease, a recurring progressive inflammation and clotting of small and medium arteries and veins in the feet.
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Stempeucel is made of specific bone marrow stem cells from multiple donors, which are pooled together with the company’s proprietary technology. The company claims this drug is more effective and affordable than using stem cells selected from a single donor, and that it allows manufacture of more than 1 million clinical doses from a single set of master cell banks.
“The process patent is valid for 20 years. We have to decide the countries in Europe where we want to initiate studies for Stempeucel and this patent grant will give us protection from other companies and freedom to operate. So, this is a big positive. The patent also becomes very critical if you want any business tie-up with any global pharma company,” B.N. Manohar, chief executive officer of Stempeutics, said.
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Stempeutics, a group company of Manipal Education and Medical Group in which Cipla Ltd holds a 49% stake, is the first company in the world to be granted a EU process patent for an allogeneic stem cell drug based on pooling technology.
The company filed the patent application for Stempeucel in the European Union in 2012.
[“source-ndtv”]
