Neuralstem Wins Patent Infringment Case on Stem Cell Technology
Biopharmaceutical company, Neuralstem, Inc. has just announced the US District Court in Maryland has decided to dismiss StemCell, Inc.’s previously filed patent infringement case with prejudice in StemCells, Inc. v. Neuralstem, Inc. in favor of Neuralstem, on July 22, 2015.
Neuralstem is most known for its proprietary stem cell technology. It has developed approaches to generating human neural stem cell lines for chemical screening, leading to the discovery and patenting of compounds that the company believes may stimulate the brain’s capacity to generate neurons, potentially treating pathologies associated with certain central nervous system (CNS) conditions, such as in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
The company’s first stem cell treatment, NSI-566 – derived from the spinal cord, is currently undergoing more clinical tests before it can be considered effective and safe in patients with ALS. So far, the company has completed two clinical trials in 30 patients that met the proposed primary safety endpoints. The investigational compound, NSI-566, is currently in a Phase I trial for chronic spinal cord injury (at UC San Diego School of Medicine) and undergoing clinical development for the treatment of ischemic stroke.
The company’s next generation stem cell product, NSI-532.IGF, is composed of transformed human cortex-derived neural stem cells that produce human insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). During the Congress of Neurological Surgeons 2014 Annual Meeting, Neuralstem presented research data on animal models of Alzheimer’s disease, showing these cells could rescue learning and memory defects.
Co-founder Pat Quinn stated in the announcement for this years’ upcoming challenge, “Last year gave the ALS community hope for the first time in a long time. But we still need the public’s help to keep the momentum going. We plan to do the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge again this August and every August until we find a cure.”