ALAMEDA, Calif.- BioTime Inc. announced in a press release the issuance of 14 new patents covering a wide range of the core technologies of BioTime and its subsidiaries Asterias Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NYSE MKT: AST), OrthoCyte Corporation, ES Cell International Pte Ltd, OncoCyte Corporation, and ReCyte Therapeutics, Inc. The new patents issued over Q3 and Q4 of 2014 add to the BioTime family of companies’ patent estate of over 600 patents and patent applications pending worldwide, which is the largest known patent estate in the field of pluripotent stem cell technology for human therapeutic application, an emerging field known as “regenerative medicine.”
Pluripotent stem cells are cells capable of indefinite expansion and then differentiation into any and all of the cell types of the human body. Examples of pluripotent stem cells are human embryonic stem cells (“hES”) and induced pluripotent stem (“iPS”) cells. These stem cells potentially offer a new technology platform for the manufacture of a wide array of cell types designed to be transplanted into the body to restore healthy tissue function.
“BioTime and its subsidiaries are focused on developing and commercializing a broad portfolio of innovative cellular therapeutics and diagnostic products, while also continuing to build value in other ways, such as through the addition of new patents to our industry-leading intellectual property estate,” said Dr. Michael D. West, Ph.D., BioTime’s Chief Executive Officer. “We are making significant strides in patenting our core platform of pluripotent stem cell technology and strengthening our competitive position in regenerative medicine. For the first time in history, pluripotent stem cells offer a means of manufacturing previously rare and valuable human cell types in a cost-effective manner and on an industrial scale. We plan to utilize our strengthened patent position to drive value for our shareholders as the field of regenerative medicine begins to address the large and growing markets associated with chronic and age-related degenerative disease.”
BioTime is a biotechnology company engaged in research and product development in the field of regenerative medicine. Regenerative medicine refers to therapies based on stem cell technology that are designed to rebuild cell and tissue function lost due to degenerative disease or injury.