ReNeuron Receives European Patent Covering Key Neural Stem Cell Lines (4/20/2007)

ReNeuron Group plc (LSE: RENE.L) 4/17/2007 announced that it has received a notification of grant from the European Patent Office concerning a patent application covering the composition, manufacture and use of three key human neural stem cell lines.

The patent (No. 05255932.5) contains claims covering the production of the cell lines and their use as a treatment for stroke, Huntington's disease, Alzheimer's disease, traumatic brain injury and Creutzfeld-Jacob disease (CJD). The patent claims also encompass the use of these cell lines in non-therapeutic applications such as cell-based screens for testing neurological drug candidates. Of the three cell lines concerned, one has been taken forward as ReNeuron's ReN001 treatment for stroke and one is being developed as the Company's ReN005 treatment for Huntington's disease. The third is a back-up cell line derived from the hippocampus region of the brain.

Equivalent patent applications to the above European patent have been filed by the Company in the US and other significant territories. Overall, ReNeuron has written or exclusively licensed over 55 issued patents and over 70 further patent applications. Of these, over 30 patents have issued in the key European and US territories.

Dr John Sinden, Chief Scientific Officer of ReNeuron, said:

"This notice of grant represents a very important additional element in the structure of ReNeuron's patent estate. Our c-mycER stem cell expansion technology allows us to generate individual cell lines as products which are patentable entities in their own right. This gives us the ability to extend the life of our overall patent portfolio, and, importantly, provides us with individually patented cell-based therapies or products that can therefore be more readily licensed to commercial partners in due course."

Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by ReNeuron

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