SAN DIEGO, CA, Sept. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Stressgen Biotechnologies (TSX:SSB) announced today that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued Patent Number 6,797,491, covering the use of HspE7, the Company's lead product candidate, to treat patients with Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis (RRP) caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). This new U.S. patent covers a method of treating a patient with RRP using a fusion protein comprised of a heat shock protein from the Hsp60 family, which includes Hsp65, and an HPV (type 16) E7 antigen. This patent provides additional patent exclusivity for HspE7 to treat RRP patients through June 26, 2021.
"This new patent adds to Stressgen's strong patent protection for its proprietary technology and HspE7 in the large U.S. market," said Daniel L. Korpolinski, President and Chief Executive Officer of Stressgen Biotechnologies Corporation. "We now own or exclusively license over 65 granted patents worldwide, including 14 granted patents in the U.S."
Stressgen is finalizing a protocol with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin a Phase III pivotal clinical trial in its first indication for HspE7, RRP, a serious disease caused primarily by the same HPV types that cause genital warts.
About Human Papillomavirus:
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HPV is one of the most common causes of sexually transmitted diseases in the world. Fifty to 75 percent of sexually active men and women are infected by genital HPV at some point in their lives. There are 5.5 million new cases of genital HPV infection diagnosed per year in the U.S. alone, including over one million cases of genital warts. In addition to RRP, HPV infection can cause genital warts, cervical cancer, anal cancer, and a variety of precancerous conditions (including anal and cervical dysplasia) and is associated with a number of head and neck cancers.
About Stressgen Biotechnologies Corporation:
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Stressgen, a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative immunotherapeutics for the treatment of infectious diseases and cancer. In addition to developing HspE7 for diseases caused by HPV, the Company has also initiated research studies to evaluate stress protein fusions made through its CoVal(TM) technology for the treatment of hepatitis B and herpes simplex and is targeting hepatitis C. Stressgen is also an internationally recognized supplier of research products used by scientists worldwide for the study of cellular stress, apoptosis, oxidative stress and neurobiology.
The Company is publicly traded on the TSX Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol SSB.
About CoVal(TM) Fusion Proteins:
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Stressgen capitalizes upon the immunostimulatory powers of heat shock proteins utilizing recombinant technology to fuse, or covalently link, a stress protein with a protein antigen to create a single hybrid protein designed to trigger the immune system to recognize that antigen. For more information about CoVal(TM) fusion technology, or Stressgen, please visit the Company at its website located at http://www.stressgen.com/.
This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding patent protection and Stressgen's interactions with the U.S. FDA. Actual results could be materially different from those implied by these forward-looking statements due to uncertainties regarding the scope of patent protection and the regulatory approval process. Please refer to our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, filed with the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission and Canadian securities regulators, for more information on these and other applicable risks.
Stressgen Contacts:
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Donna Slade
Director, Investor Relations
6055 Lusk Boulevard
San Diego, CA USA 92121
Tel: (858) 202-4900
Dir: (858) 202-4945
Fax: (858) 450-6849
dslade@stressgen.com
Jennifer Matterson
Communications Coordinator
350-4243 Glanford Avenue
Victoria, BC CANADA V8Z 4B9
Tel: (250) 744-2811
Fax: (250) 744-3331
jmatterson@stressgen.com
Stressgen Biotechnologies Corp.
CONTACT: Stressgen Contacts: Donna Slade, Director, Investor Relations,6055 Lusk Boulevard, San Diego, CA USA 92121, Tel: (858) 202-4900,Dir: (858) 202-4945, Fax: (858) 450-6849, dslade@stressgen.com; JenniferMatterson, Communications Coordinator, 350-4243 Glanford Avenue, Victoria,BC CANADA V8Z 4B9, Tel: (250) 744-2811, Fax: (250) 744-3331,jmatterson@stressgen.com