Proneuron Biotechnologies announced today the grant of the European patent for ProCord (autologous incubated macrophages) for the treatment of acute spinal cord injury by the European Patent Office.
The European patent for the use of mononuclear phagocytes to promote axonal regeneration, was granted to Yeda Research and Development Co. Ltd. from which Proneuron Biotechnologies has an exclusive license.
ProCord was previously patented in the US, and received an orphan drug designation by the FDA in September 2004.
Proneuron is a privately held biopharmaceutical company developing products for the medical treatment of spinal cord injuries and other disorders of the central nervous system. Its products are based on proprietary technology licensed from Yeda for modulating the interaction between the nervous and immune systems. The company's products are currently being evaluated in several clinical studies located in the U.S., Belgium and Israel.
The products include an independently managed, international, multi-center, randomized-controlled Phase II trial of ProCord, autologous incubated macrophages, an experimental procedure for spinal cord injuries and a Phase II program of Cop-1 for the treatment of Huntington’s disease (HD), Glaucoma and other neurodegenerative diseases. The latter is being managed by Teva as part of the Proneuron’s strategic collaboration for development and commercialization of Cop-1 for various neurodegenerative indications. The company is also developing PN277 for the treatment of additional neurodegenerative diseases.
The main inventor is Proneuron Scientific founder Professor Michal Schwartz of the Weizmann Institute of Science.
“The patent granted by the European Patent Office (EPO) is yet another brick in the road towards developing a potential treatment for spinal cord injury. It is our intention to continue working hard to determine how to most effectively use macrophages (special type of white blood cell) to introduce a beneficial immune reaction to an immune restricted area such as the central nervous system,” said Schwartz.
Proneuron CEO Nir Nimrodi said, “This is an important patent for several reasons. First, following the patents of ProCord in the US, it lends further support to the concept of using macrophages and or dendritic cells to induce spinal cord injury recovery. The European patent also comes at a time when the Phase II study is moving ahead at a particularly aggressive pace at trial sites in the U.S. and Israel, the latter of which serves as the designated enrollment site for patients from Europe. It is our hope that this news will encourage the medical community in Europe to more actively join in this research effort".
Proneuron is currently engaged in a Phase II international, multi-center, randomized controlled study of ProCord.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on Wednesday, March 23, 2005