The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced the granting of a US patent for a new method for producing a leukocyte preparation. The owners of the patent are the ARTCLINE GmbH and the Fraunhofer-Institute in equal proportions. The exploitation in terms of the corresponding products will be carried out by ARTCLINE.
The US patent is valid until 2033. ARTCLINE therefore has the exclusive rights to this innovative method or this novel immune cell product for the USA.
The transfusion of leukocytes (white blood cells), especially granulocytes, is a supportive therapy for patients with a life-threatening deficiency or malfunction of the immune cells. Granulocyte transfusions can combat or prevent infections in these kind of patients. Beside immune cells, also blood plasma, a high number of thrombocytes (blood platelets) and erythrocytes (red blood cells) are parts of these granulocyte transfusions.
The patented method describes a purification process in which purer immune cell preparations can be produced but also be stored for a certain period of time. Previous granulocyte transfusion preparations must be transfused within 24 hours after donation.
ARTCLINE has been working on the method together with the Fraunhofer-Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology since 2011. Among others, Dr. Jens Altrichter and Dipl.-Biol. Fanny Doss from ARTCLINE, Prof. Steffen Mitzner, Rostock University Medical Center and Fraunhofer and Dr. Kathleen Selleng from the University Medical Center Greifswald are the inventors of the method.
“Having already received the European patent in 2016, we are pleased to have also reached this important milestone for the US. The patent guarantees the exclusive rights in the USA until 2033. So, we are able to further expand the positioning of our cell therapy”, says Dr. Altrichter. “Certainly, this is only one step on our long way to becoming a comprehensive therapy provider for patients with severe infections. Anyway, at this point we would like to mention the excellent collaboration with the employees of the Fraunhofer-Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, in particular the EXIM Rostock branch office and the Universities in Rostock and Greifswald”.
In case of general questions or news-related questions: info@artcline.de