Ocata Therapeutics Inc fka OCAT

[louisa]

Not sure if this was seen by all, re: ACTC news today from MIT.


Thursday, July 26, 2012
ACT widens swath to operate with new patent

By Patricia Resende

Other matches for "advanced cell technology":

Advanced Cell Technology lands $2.5M IP license deal [December 19, 2008]

Advanced Cell Technology opens HQ in California [February 27, 2006]

BU bioethicist denounces Advanced Cell Technology's cloning project [December 10, 2001]

Calif. stem cell push lures Advanced Cell Technology [October 11, 2004]

ACT to raise $10M in private placement [August 21, 2007]

More Search Results

Advanced Cell Technology Inc. (OTCBB: ACTC) received a patent in Australia for its treatment of the retina, the light-sensitive tissue that lines the inner surface of the eye.

The “Improved modalities for the treatment of degenerative diseases of the retina” patent covers the use of human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells that are generated by pluripotent stem cells. The patent covers both human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and human induced pluripotent stem cell, and the use of them to treat patients with degenerative diseases of the retina such as Age-related Macular Degeneration (or breakdown of the eye’s macula).

ACT Chairman and CEO Gary Rabin said the patent is significant because it will enable the company to create the cells for use in clinical therapy from any pluripotent stem cell source. “It’s a broader patent than we have in the U.S.,” Rabin told Mass High Tech.

“The fact that it covers all pluripotent stem cells is really critical,” he said. “We are using a course of immunosuppressant before and after the surgery and have not seen any rejections.”

ACT, based in Marlborough, says its research could potentially help the millions of people worldwide with Wet macular degeneration (Wet AMD), a chronic eye disease that causes vision loss in the center of a person’s field of vision.

According to the company, ACT’s cellular reprogramming technologies using iPS cells are in an advanced stage of development. Since iPS cells can be made from the patient’s own cells such as skin or blood cells the company may expand its cell therapies beyond the eye. Rabin said the company may use iPS cells for other means in its blood program, the area that it is most likely to translate something from iPS into clinical.

“Our patent strategy, not only in Australia but worldwide, is to not only expand our claims in iPS cells but in their use,” Rabin said. “We are widening our swath in freedom to operate here.”

Earlier this year, ACT announced that the Wills Eye Institute had won approval as a site for ACT’s clinical trial for dry AMD and in October announced that MIT professor and serial entrepreneur Robert Langer joined its board of directors.