London, UK – 02 November 2017 – NetScientific plc (“NetScientific”, AIM:NSCI), the transatlantic healthcare IP commercialisation Group, announces that a Chinese patent exclusively licensed to one of its portfolio companies, Glycotest, has been allowed. The patent provides broad protection of the assays in Glycotest’s HCC Panel test for early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the Company’s pipeline tests for liver fibrosis and other serious liver disease.
This patent expands Glycotest’s existing patent portfolio which has 10 previously granted or allowed patents, protecting multiple aspects of Glycotest’s proprietary liver disease diagnostic platform. Glycotest now holds patents in the US, Europe, Japan and Australia covering the use of over 50 unique glycoprotein biomarkers and related assay technology for the diagnosis of liver cancers and other liver diseases. These patents have been licensed exclusively on a worldwide basis to Glycotest by Drexel University College of Medicine and the Blumberg Institute of the Hepatitis B Foundation.
Glycotest’s lead product, HCC Panel, has demonstrated in two studies of 208 patients and 127 patients respectively that it has the potential to outperform the current dominant blood test (AFP) regarding the early detection of HCC in patients with cirrhosis.
NetScientific holds an 87.5% stake (67% on a fully diluted basis) in Glycotest.
Commenting on the news, NetScientific’s Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Glycotest, Francois R. Martelet said: “We are pleased to announce that Glycotest’s IP portfolio will now also cover China, a highly significant market, which accounts for over 50% of worldwide deaths from liver cancer. We believe Glycotest’s HCC panel will enable early detection of HCC and, once commercialised, will change the paradigm of care.”
The full text of the announcement from Glycotest can be found below.
For more information please contact:
NetScientific
François R. Martelet, M.D., CEO
Ian Postlethwaite, CFO
Tel: +44 (0)20 3514 1800
info@netscientific.net
Consilium Strategic Communications
Mary-Jane Elliott / Jessica Hodgson /
Chris Welsh / Laura Thornton
Tel: +44 (0)20 3709 5700
netscientific@consilium-comms.com
Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited (NOMAD and Broker)
Jonathan Senior / David Arch / Ben Maddison
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7710 7600
Glycotest Inc.
Lawrence Cohen
Office: +1 646 722 4339
larry.cohen@glycotest.com
About NetScientific:
NetScientific is an IP commercialisation group focused on healthcare with an investment strategy focused on sourcing, funding and commercialising technologies that significantly improve the health and well-being of people with chronic diseases. For more information, please visit the website at www.netscientific.net
Glycotest™ Expands Patent Portfolio with Chinese Patent
New York, NY— November 02, 2017—Glycotest, Inc. announced today that a Chinese patent covering platform technology for the assay of its proprietary fucosylated biomarkers has been allowed.
Glycotest is a private liver disease diagnostics company commercializing new and unique blood tests for liver cancers and fibrosis-cirrhosis. The Company’s mission is to reduce mortality and increase survival for the growing population at risk from serious liver diseases. Glycotest employs unique non-invasive blood tests based on proprietary serum biomarkers, biomarker panels and assay technology that exploit novel sugar-based disease signal chemistry.
The Chinese patent announced today provides broad protection of the assays in Glycotest’s HCC Panel test for early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) as well as the Company’s pipeline tests for liver fibrosis and other serious liver disease. Included in this patent is protection of the recombinant engineered lectin reagents key to detection of the novel fucosylation liver disease signal employed in all of the Company’s tests. Glycotest believes its tests can significantly reduce the burden of serious liver disease worldwide, including parts of the world like China that are severely affected. Over 50% of worldwide deaths from liver cancer occur in China. The patent announced today joins 10 previously granted or allowed patents in the United States, Europe, Japan and Australia covering over 50 novel fucosylated protein biomarkers and the assay technology required to measure them. These patents have been licensed exclusively and on a worldwide basis to Glycotest by Drexel University College of Medicine and the Blumberg Institute of the Hepatitis B Foundation, both in the Philadelphia area. Glycotest continues to seek further strong, broad and geographically diverse protection of its novel liver disease diagnostic technology through prosecution of applications pending in commercially important US and international jurisdictions.
Glycotest’s Chief Executive Officer Lawrence Cohen said, “This patent marks Glycotest’s first patent in China, an important step toward building a strong intellectual property position in China to support the commercialization of our HCC Panel test for early-stage HCC and our pipeline tests for other serious liver diseases. We expect our tests to significantly expand the number of patients that can be identified for early therapeutic intervention, extending and improving quality of life for many patients afflicted with serious liver disease.”
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About Glycotest, Inc.
Glycotest is a private liver disease diagnostics company commercializing novel clinical laboratory testing services for patients at risk for liver cancers and fibrosis-cirrhosis. The Company was founded in 2012 on proprietary technology that originated at the Philadelphia area institutions Baruch S. Blumberg Institute and Drexel University College of Medicine. Learn more at www.glycotest.com.