Amorcyte Granted Landmark Patent

ALLENDALE, N.J., Sept. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Amorcyte, Inc. (Amorcyte), a biopharmaceutical company developing cell therapy products to treat cardiovascular disease, today announced that it has been granted United States Patent number 7,794,705 titled "Compositions and Methods of Vascular Injury Repair."  The patent contains both composition of matter and method claims surrounding therapeutic chemotactic hematopoietic stem cell products used in treating or repairing a vascular injury following an acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and delivery of the cell therapy.  This is the first instance of a U.S. patent being issued for a chemotactic hematopoietic stem cell product, its delivery and the cell potency and stability needed to treat the consequences of a vascular injury.

Claims of this patent, which will remain in effect until at least May 2028, cover Amorcyte's proprietary formulation that maintains the potency of CD34+ stem cells having CXCR-4+ receptors and their ability to migrate quickly after delivery to the vascular injury site, as well as methods of delivering the product through use of a catheter.

"The issuance of this patent is a significant milestone for Amorcyte and provides us with a strong commercial position for our lead product candidate, AMR-001 to treat heart damage after an AMI, as well as other therapeutic indications in treating the consequences of vascular injury," said Andrew L. Pecora, M.D., Founder and Chairman of the Board of Amorcyte. "Understanding how fundamental this patent is to the emerging field of regenerative medicine, it is our desire to enter into appropriate collaborations with other companies whose development efforts complement our approach."  

Amorcyte's lead product, AMR-001, is in development for the prevention of major adverse cardiac events following AMI. AMR-001 uses the patients' own enriched bone marrow stem cells as treatment for cardiovascular disease.  The process infuses CD34+CXCR-4+ stem cells into the heart a week or so after a heart attack, where they migrate to the site of vascular injury and linger helping to restore damaged tissue. The CD34+ stem cells are enriched using Amorcyte's proprietary technology to assure their potency, purity, sterility and product shelf-life.  

Data from a Phase I study evaluating AMR-001, reported last year at the scientific session of the American College of Cardiology, demonstrated a significant improvement in perfusion, a trend towards improved cardiac function and the potential to reduce subsequent adverse cardiac events following AMI. This was the first clinical study ever to show a dose-related significant improvement in cardiac perfusion following a severe heart attack.  

Amorcyte is pursuing patent rights outside the U.S. and additional patent rights in the U.S. directed to related aspects of its proprietary stem cell technology.  

About Cardiovascular Disease

It is estimated that each year there are approximately 1.1 million instances of acute myocardial infarction (AMI).  160,000 AMIs are severe enough to cause ventricular remodeling leading to further tissue damage over time and downstream adverse events including premature death, recurrent myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, significant arrhythmias and acute coronary syndrome.  Amorcyte's therapy aims to limit ventricular remodeling.

About Amorcyte, Inc.

Amorcyte is a privately held biotechnology company developing cell therapy products to treat cardiovascular disease.  Its lead product AMR-001, for the prevention of major adverse cardiac events following acute myocardial infarction (AMI), has completed Phase I clinical trials demonstrating feasibility, safety and biologic activity at a threshold dose.  This is the first stem cell trial in AMI ever conducted that has prospectively established a significant relationship between dose and effect.  Amorcyte has partnered with Progenitor Cell Therapy, a leading provider of clinical, manufacturing and other services for the cell therapy industry, to provide Amorcyte with a pharmaceutical grade cGMP manufactured product that can be distributed commercially.  Amorcyte was founded by Andrew Pecora, M.D., Chairman of The John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Cancer Center, with initial investment by Novitas Capital and Colt Ventures.  Additional information about Amorcyte can be found at: www.amorcyte.com

SOURCE Amorcyte, Inc.