Isotechnika Receives U.S. Patent for Insulin Resistance Diagnostic Test
Edmonton, Canada (ots/PRNewswire)
Isotechnika Inc. (TSX: ISA) announced today that the Company has been issued U.S. Patent No. 6,878,550 for its diagnostic breath test kit, Diatest(R). The patent entitled "13C Glucose Breath Test for the Diagnosis of Diabetic Indications and Monitoring Glycemic Control" is the fifth U.S. Patent issued for this technology.
The Diatest(R), a 13C glucose breath test, provides both physicians and their patients with an effective means to investigate insulin resistance. Based on the results of the test physicians can implement treatment to prevent or delay the medical conditions associated with insulin resistance, such as type 2 diabetes. The Company is planning to conduct a North American trial for the Diatest(R), to further validate the kit and provide the necessary clinical data to obtain regulatory approval to market the test in the United States and other countries. The Diatest(R) FDA trial is expected to commence by the third quarter of 2005.
The Company currently has regulatory approval and the required license to sell the Diatest(R) in Canada. The clinical data obtained from the North American trial will assist the Company in marketing the Diatest(R) in Canada and international markets.
"We are pleased to receive this latest patent on this exciting new technology. We are currently in development of this test to provide clinicians and patients with a tool capable of diagnosing pre-diabetic disease in a simple, non-invasive yet cost-effective manner," commented Mr. Joseph Koziak, Isotechnika's Executive Vice President. "The Diatest(R) has the potential to become the gold standard in insulin resistance testing."
About Isotechnika Inc.
Isotechnika Inc. is an international biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Drawing upon its expertise in medicinal chemistry and immunology, the Company is focused on the discovery and development of novel immunosuppressive therapeutics that are safer than currently available treatments. Its entrepreneurial management and world-class team of scientists are building a pipeline of immunosuppressive drug candidates for treatment of autoimmune diseases and for use in the prevention of organ rejection in transplantation. Isotechnika looks to become the leader in development of immunosuppressant therapies.
Isotechnika's lead compound, ISA247 is an immunosuppressant currently in a Canadian Phase III human clinical trial for the treatment of moderate to severe psoriasis. In addition, ISA247 has successfully completed a Phase IIa trial for kidney transplantation. The Company also has two additional immunosuppressive compounds in its drug pipeline, TAFA93 and TKB662 which are in Phase I and pre-clinical respectively.
In addition to the Company's drug pipeline, Isotechnika also has a diagnostic division, which includes the Helikit(R) and Diatest(R) breath kits. The Helikit(R) a 13C urea breath test is used for the detection of H. pylori, a bacterium that infects a large portion of the population. The Diatest(R) a 13C glucose breath test is used to measure insulin resistance.
Isotechnika Inc. is a publicly traded company on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol ISA. More information on Isotechnika can be found at www.isotechnika.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward- looking statements, including the Company's belief as to the potential of its products, the Company's expectations regarding the issuance of additional patents and the Company's ability to protect its intellectual property, involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those in the forward- looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the availability of funds and resources to pursue research and development projects, the ability to economically manufacture its products, the potential of its products, the success and timely completion of clinical studies and trials, the Company's ability to successfully commercialize its products, the ability of the Company to defend its patents from infringement by third parties, and the risk that the Company's patents may be subsequently shown to be invalid or infringe the patents of others. Investors should consult the Company's quarterly and annual filings with the Canadian commissions for additional information on risks and uncertainties relating to the forward- looking statements. Investors are cautioned against placing undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
Contact:
Joseph Koziak, Executive Vice President, Isotechnika Inc., Phone:
+1-(480)-505-0540, Fax: +1-(480)-484-4105, Email:
jkoziak@isotechnika.com; Stephanie Gillis-Paulgaard, Senior Manager,
Corporate Communications, Isotechnika Inc., Phone: +1-(780)-487-1600
Ext. 243, Fax: +1-(780)-484-4105,
E-mail:sgillis-paulgaard@isotechnika.com; Archived images on this
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