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Ocata Therapeutics Receives New US Patent

16-Jul-2015 | Source : Ocata Therapeutics | Visits : 7380
MARLBOROUGH, Mass. - Ocata Therapeutics Inc., a leader in the field of Regenerative Ophthalmology™, announced that it continues to fortify the patent protection covering its retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) transplant technology for macular degeneration with the issuance by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) of US Patent No 9,080,150.

“The issuance of this 9th US patent in our global RPE portfolio represents yet another example of the leadership position we have established as pioneers in Regenerative Ophthalmology,” said Paul K. Wotton, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer. “In particular, this new patent provides coverage for the manufacture of all RPE products from any pluripotent source by defining the basic universal markers of RPE essential for therapeutic use. We have recently received patent protection for the manufacture of human RPE cell products from pluripotent stem cell sources, including manufacture of formulation forms for use as therapeutic agents as well as the use of these RPE formulations for treating degenerative ophthalmic diseases, such as dry age-related macular degeneration (dry AMD) and Stargardt’s macular degeneration (SMD).”

Ocata Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of Regenerative Ophthalmology therapeutics. Ocata’s most advanced products are in clinical trials for the treatment of Stargardt’s macular degeneration, dry age-related macular degeneration, and myopic macular degeneration. Ocata’s intellectual property portfolio includes pluripotent stem cell platforms – hESC and induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) – and other cell therapy research programs. For more information, visit www.ocata.com

Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss in people over the age of 50. Every year in the USA there are 1.8 million patients newly diagnosed with dry AMD which occurs when light-sensitive photoreceptor cells in the macula, located in the center of the retina, slowly break down, causing vision loss as a result. Photoreceptor breakdown is a consequence of loss or damage to the RPE layer. As the disease progresses, patients may have difficulty reading and recognizing faces. There is currently no proven medical therapy for dry AMD and the projected number of people worldwide with age-related macular degeneration in 2020 is 196 million, increasing to 288 million in 2040, underscoring the urgent need for new treatments.

Stargardt’s macular degeneration is a form of juvenile macular degeneration that affects vision in children and young adults between the ages of six and 20, with a prevalence of approximately one in 10,000 people in the United States. It is an orphan disease and loss of vision is an inevitable aspect of SMD, with more than half of the patients experiencing vision loss in the range of 20/200-20/400. Like dry AMD, it occurs as a result of damage to the RPE layer and there are no treatments currently approved to prevent or slow the vision loss associated with SMD.
 
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