New news for Senetek
Senetek's Kinetin Patent Allowed
Active ingredient in VivaKin, promising new treatment for aging skin
ST. LOUIS, Jan. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Senetek PLC (Nasdaq: SNTKY) announced
today that it has been notified by the U.S. Patent Trademark Office that its
patent application -- to protect its invention of "methods and compositions
for ameliorating the adverse effects of aging on mammalian cells in vitro and
in vivo, without substantially altering the growth rate or total proliferative
capacity of the treated cells" -- has been allowed.
The patent grants protection to VivaKin(TM), Senetek's non-irritating skin
treatment formulated for topical application to human skin. The
"ameliorative" effects of VivaKin(TM) are manifested as a decrease in the
number or depth of wrinkles; a delay in the appearance of such wrinkles; or, a
decrease or delay in the development of loose sagging skin or other
characteristics, such as discoloration, that are associated with aging skin.
"Scientific data suggest that VivaKin possesses a combination of
effectiveness and safety in treating aging skin that is unmatched by other
so-called revitalizing skin treatments, such as cosmetics, chemical peels,
injections of collagen and surgical techniques such as face lifts," said
Gerlof Homan, Ph.D., Senetek's chief scientific officer. "Clinical studies
now are in progress to establish farther the value of VivaKin in delaying or
preventing unwanted changes in the appearance and texture of aging skin."
Kinetin (6-furfurylaminopurine), the active ingredient in VivaKin(TM), is
a highly potent growth factor that, along with other plant-growth substances,
promotes cell division and ensures orderly growth and development of plants.
In a study published in Biochemical and Biophysical Research ("Kinetin delays
the onset of ageing characteristics in human fibroblasts," Suresh I.S. Rattan
and Brian F.C. Clark, Vol. 201, No. 2, 1994), kinetin delayed or prevented a
range of cellular changes associated with in vitro aging of human skin cells,
including alterations in cell morphology, growth rate, size, cytoskeletal
organization, macromolecular synthetic activity and accumulation of lipofuscin
aging pigments.
Equally important, the study showed that kinetin did not alter the maximum
in vitro life span of human skin cells or their ability to multiply in
culture. Thus, kinetin was devoid of activities associated with cellular
immortalization, malignant transformation and carcinogenesis.
Senetek PLC, headquartered in London, is a medical company providing
technologies and solutions for aging-related health problems. |
