First U.S. Patent for Vaccine Treatment of Dog and Cat Obesity is Awarded to Braasch Biotech

GARRETSON, SD--(Marketwired - May 31, 2013) - Braasch Biotech LLC, a biopharmaceutical company pioneering a new field of anti-somatostatin vaccines, today announced the company was assigned US Patent 8,425,914 for vaccination methods in the treatment of obesity in dogs and cats.

The patent issued on April 23, 2013 for Methods for enhanced somatostatin immunogenicity in the treatment of obesity, is the first patent issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for treatment of phenotypic obesity by vaccination.

According to the Association of Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP), U.S. pet obesity rates continued to increase in 2012 with the number of overweight cats reaching an all-time high. The 2012 APOP survey found 52.5 percent of dogs and 58.3 percent of cats to be overweight or obese by their veterinarians. These results indicate that approximately 80 million U.S. dogs and cats are at increased risk for weight-related disorders such as diabetes, osteoarthritis, hypertension and many cancers.

“Like human obesity, obesity in dogs and cats is at epidemic proportions. Although prevention is always the best option, once an animal reaches the obese state, owner intervention is necessary for the pet’s continued quality of life and longevity,” stated Jeralyn Kay Haffer, CEO and Chairman of Braasch. “We are now pleased the USPTO has recognized our vaccine’s novelty and commercial utility in the fight against dog and cat obesity.” Additional patent applications for the Company’s obesity technologies are issued or pending in a number of other regions including Europe, Mexico, South Africa, Brazil, Canada and Japan.

Braasch’s intellectual property portfolio includes multiple patent families with issued or pending claims directed to utility of anti-somatostatin vaccine technologies, Somatovac® for multiple metabolic challenges.

About Braasch Biotech

Braasch Biotech is pioneering a new field of therapeutic approaches utilizing Somatovac® technologies. To date, Braasch has multiple regulatory submissions in progress with the U.S. and international regulatory bodies on the use of vaccines in metabolic regulation. Braasch Biotech is a privately held biopharmaceutical with corporate offices in South Dakota.

For more information on Braasch Biotech, please email info@braaschbiotech.com or visit www.braaschbiotech.com.