Maas BiolAB Granted pan-European Cyclosporin Neuroprotection Patent
Monday June 9, 9:09 am ET
[Appears to be an alternative use for Cyclosporin-class drugs].
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 9, 2003--Maas BiolAB has been granted Cyclosporin Neuroprotection patent number 0813420 by the European Patent Office (EPO). The pan-European patent covers the 400 million people in the 19 European countries of Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
Cyclosporins, a class of drugs best known as immunosuppressants, were discovered by Maas Scientific Director Eskil Elmer to have a new use as the most effective neuroprotectants across the spectrum of neurological disease models when it crosses the blood-brain barrier. Cyclosporins protect the brain's mitochondria and prevent neuron death from traumatic brain and spinal cord injury, stroke, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's diseases and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) animal models. The NIH is now funding multicenter human trials treating traumatic brain injury with cyclosporin.
Marcus Keep, CEO of Maas, stated "With the addition of the important European sector, we now have patent coverage in the two main world markets, North America and the European Union, together nearly 900 million people." Maas BiolAB is a privately held neuropharmaceutical corporation developing novel neuroprotective cyclosporin analogs that are non-immunosuppressive, cross the blood-brain barrier and are water-soluble. For more information please visit www.maasbiolab.com. |
