Cyclosporin Neuroprotection: Maas BiolAB's Canadian Patent
HONOLULU--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 22, 2000--Maas BiolAB,
LLC received the Canadian Intellectual Property Office's Notice of Allowability
for cyclosporin neuroprotection.
The patent is for cyclosporin to treat acute and chronic brain diseases,
including stroke and Alzheimer's. Maas BiolAB's world intellectual property
is represented by Martin J. Marcus (Ottawa) of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP.
The USA patent was issued in October 1999.
Cyclosporin is the first member of the neuroprotectant class called "Neuroimmunophilins."
Others include FK506 (Prograf-Fujisawa), and FKBP small molecules (Guilford/Amgen
and Vertex/Schering).
Maas Scientific Director Eskil Elmer Ph.D. made the discovery that brought
cyclosporin from transplantation to neuroprotection. "Cyclosporin
is so effective because it not only inhibits calcineurin, it also blocks
mitochondrial-induced programmed cell death, an effect not demonstrated
for the other neuroimmunophiln ligands," reports Dr. Elmer from the
Experimental Brain Research Laboratory, in Lund, Sweden.
"Cyclosporin is the most potent drug blocking damage from stroke
and brain trauma in animal models. Recently published animal data from
the NIH shows promise for treating the neurodegenerative diseases Alzheimer's
and Parkinson's," said Marcus Keep, M.D., Maas Chief Executive Officer.
Dr. Keep is a neurosurgeon trained at McGill University, Montreal, with
a research fellowship in Lund, Sweden.
Hakan Widner M.D. Ph.D. is developing protocols for the first stroke trials. Dr. Widner is a Lund University immunologist and neurologist, basic and clinical researcher in cyclosporin and neural transplantation. He has the world's most experience with the effects of cyclosporin in the human brain.
"In Lund, we have been successful in bringing a neural transplant treatment for Parkinson's disease from basic research to successful clinical trials in humans. We can do the same with cyclosporin for stroke," observed Dr. Widner from the Section for Neuronal Survival at Wallenberg Neurocenter. He is founding member of Maas, and is on its Board of Directors.
Maas BiolAB was incorporated in Hawaii in 1997 to develop
the intellectual property. Hawaii, "The Biomedical Island,"
offers incentives for biotech start-ups, including investment 10% state
tax credit, no state taxes on patent royalties, and low USA federal tax.
"Now that Canada has joined the United States in recognizing this
important invention the company expects to be able to obtain funding soon
to continue development," reports Helmuth von Moltke, Maas Corporate
Director.
CONTACT:
Marcus Keep M.D., F.R.C.S.C.,
+1 808 547-6940 (North America)
mkeep@maasbiolab.com
Eskil Elmer Ph.D.,
+46 46-143151 (Europe)
