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Stellar Announces Issuance of Patents for C. diff Immunotherapy Technology
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Stellar Biotechnologies, Inc. has announced the issuance of two additional patents, in the United States and in China, covering the Company’s active immunotherapy technology for the treatment of Clostridium difficile infection (“C. diff”).
Clostridium difficile is a bacteria found in the intestines that can cause severe and life-threatening intestinal conditions. C. diff infections are at an all-time high and related hospitalizations have tripled in the last decade.
The two patents, U.S. patent No. 8,597,663 and China patent No. 200880115518.2, describe certain novel cell surface polysaccharides and their chemical structures with broad claims covering antigen and vaccine compositions for the treatment, prevention and diagnosis of C. diff infection.
Stellar holds the exclusive, worldwide rights to develop, manufacture and sell human vaccines and other products derived from these patents, licensed from the University of Guelph. The license covers intellectual property related to the cell-wall polysaccharide of C. diff named PSII.
Stellar’s technology combines PSII with Stellar KLH™ into an active immunotherapy approach with potential advantages over other technologies.
“Our PSII-KLH technology is dramatically different from other approaches,” said Herbert Chow, Ph.D., Stellar’s Chief Technology Officer. “We are harnessing the body’s own immune system to disrupt the fundamental pathways of C. diff pathogenesis and transmission, unlike many methods which can only impact disease symptoms. These patents strengthen Stellar’s intellectual property and further raise the barriers around our C. diff platform.”
The novel combination of PSII-KLH is designed to activate innate and adaptive immune systems in the intestines that directly inhibit spore germination and reduce bacterial burden.
In this way, Stellar’s PSII-KLH vaccine is cell-directed to limit the extent and spread of disease transmission. Preliminary preclinical studies from Stellar’s PSII-KLH active immunotherapy program demonstrated protection against C. diff in mice.
