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Tuesday July 21, 8:32 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
SOURCE: Paracelsian, Inc.
Paracelsian Patents Approved for HIV Treatment and Cancer Screen
ITHACA, N.Y., July 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Paracelsian, Inc. (Nasdaq: PRLN - news; paracelsian.com) has received notice of allowance for two of its most important and potentially profitable patent applications.
''The approval of these patent applications, the first relating to a new method for treating HIV and the second relating to a new screen for Cancer, is a major step in realizing our corporate strategy to fully develop all of our intellectual assets,'' said Bernie Landes, Paracelsian's Chairman, President and CEO. ''We fully intend to optimize the market potential for both of these breakthrough technologies and have initiated an aggressive search for the best possible partners to assist us in achieving our goal,'' he added.
In the first approved application, the company was granted claims for a novel method of treating HIV infection. The method works through a unique pathway involved in the progression of HIV. AIDS is characterized by a compromised immune system resulting from the systemic depletion of ''T cells'' called CD4+ T lymphocytes and unresponsiveness of the remaining T cells. The level of T cells serves as a diagnostic indicator of the progression of the disease. HIV infected T cells are known to be directly toxic or ''cytopathic'' to other CD4+ T lymphocytes through the initiation of specific process associated with rapid loss of CD4+ T cells and disease progression. This process is a key mechanism of T cell depletion during progressive HIV infection.
Paracelsian expects that the new method will be used beneficially in conjunction with other AIDS treatments, including reverse transcriptase and protease inhibitors currently being successfully used as part of ''drug cocktails''. Paracelsian scientists previously discovered a cell cycle pathway that can be used for drug screening and received a patent on this technology. The company is currently screening its library of 2,764 Traditional Chinese Medicine extracts, along with other novel herbs and botanicals it has recently acquired, in search of compounds that will inhibit HIV progression. Paracelsian, Inc. is currently seeking partners to pursue FDA approvals and market the novel treatment.
The second patent application includes claims for assays that evaluate the carcinogenicity (cancer causing activity) of potential carcinogens or mutagens by monitoring the levels of markers of cellular hyper-proliferation called ''cyclin dependent kinases'', or ''CDK's''
Paracelsian's team of scientists discovered that there is a consistent relationship between cyclin dependent kinase concentrations and cell growth and proliferation. Because cell hyper-proliferation is the most fundamental property of cancer, Paracelsian's technology has broad application to detecting and monitoring whether cancer cells are growing and proliferating. The patent application that was allowed relates to using this technology to quantifying carcinogenicity of test substances, even substances which have been previously thought to be non-genotoxic and/or non-mutagenic.
Paracelsian's patented CDK assays measure the concentration of at least one cyclin dependent kinase in the blood, plasma or serum of an animal or human, and correlates that concentration to the presence of abnormal cellular proliferation or tumor development in any tissue of the organism from which the sample was obtained. These assay systems offer potential users the ability not only to screen sample compounds for their potential mutagenic/ carcinogenic/neoplastic properties, but also to screen for compounds which prevent this activity as well. Paracelsian's scientists have been using these assays for drug screening for cancer treatments.
Using this assay, Paracelsian's scientists have identified several compounds from the company's library of Traditional Chinese Medicine extracts that have shown high levels of anti-cancer activity. A group of the most highly active compounds are now being evaluated for anti-cancer activity in human tumor models of breast and prostate cancer as part of a collaborative research agreement Paracelsian recently announced with the Southern Research Institute, one of the nation's leading cancer research centers.
Paracelsian has additional foreign and U.S. Patent applications pending that are related to both of these technologies. The company is actively seeking partners to fully develop the market potential of these patents by pursuing FDA approvals and by marketing the novel treatments that it has discovered.
Paracelsian is a unique biotechnology company whose business centers on the development and application of functional bioassays. These assays are used for Quality Assurance of herbs, botanicals and other dietary supplements, in the development of dietary supplement, OTC and pharmaceutical products, and in monitoring environmental toxins and identifying carcinogens.
Paracelsian recently announced a strategic alliance with R.P. Scherer North America, a division of R.P. Scherer Corporation for the marketing and distribution of its Patent Pending BioFIT ''Functional'' Certification Program. The agreement further calls for the prompt negotiation of a worldwide agreement.
Notice: This news release may contain forward-looking statements.
Investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to, the results of research and development efforts, the effect of regulation by the United States Food and Drug Administration and other agencies, the impact of competitive products, product development commercialization and technological difficulties, and other risks detailed in the Company's periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
No forward-looking statement is a guarantee of future results or events, and one should avoid placing undue reliance on such statements.
SOURCE: Paracelsian, Inc.
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