Advanced Biotherapy, Inc. Discloses Patent Pending for Exclusive Use of Antibodies to Gamma Interferon in the Treatment of Psoriasis, Vitiligo and Alopecia Areata.Business Editors/Health & Medical Writers WOODLAND HILLS, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--May 28, 2002 Advanced Biotherapy, Inc. (OTCBB OTCBB See OTC Bulletin Board (OTCBB). :ADVB ADVB Associação dos Dirigentes de Vendas e Marketing do Brasil ) announced today that it has a patent application pending for the exclusive use of any form of antibody to gamma interferon (IFN-g) for the treatment of Psoriasis, Vitiligo vitiligo or leukoderma Skin disorder manifested by smooth, white spots on various parts of the body. Though the pigment-making cells of the skin, or melanocytes, are structurally intact, they have lost the ability to synthesize the pigment. and Alopecia Areata. As previously reported, The United States Patent and Trademark Office The United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO or USPTO) is an agency in the United States Department of Commerce that provides patent protection to inventors and businesses for their inventions, and trademark registration for product and intellectual property (USPTO USPTO abbr. United States Patent and Trademark Office ) issued U.S. Patent No. 6,333,032 to the Company for the exclusive use of IFN-g antibodies -- including humanized and fully human, as well as other antibody types -- to treat Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis juvenile rheumatoid arthritis n. Abbr. JRA Chronic inflammatory arthritis that begins in childhood, characterized by swelling, tenderness, and pain in one or more joints and by lymph node and splenic enlargement. , Psoriatic Arthritis (a form of psoriasis) and Ankylosing Spondylitis. The company also has a patent application pending for the exclusive use of any form of antibody to gamma interferon (IFN-g) for the treatment of Crohn's Disease
The treatment of Crohn's disease is sequential: to treat acute disease, and then to maintain remission. Treatment initially involves the use of medications to treat any infection and to reduce inflammation. . Commenting on this announcement, Mr. Edmond Buccellato, President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, "This additional important pending patent application covering these autoimmune diseases further enhances our patent portfolio which already covers treatment of several autoimmune diseases." Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease characterized by periodic flare-ups of a clearly defined reddish, scaly scal·y adj. 1. Covered or partially covered with scales. 2. Shedding scales or flakes; flaking. scaly skin condition characterized by scales; scalelike. rash that is most often located on the elbows, knees, scalp, ears, and lower back. Nails are affected in various ways in many people with psoriasis, and approximately 10-15% of those with the condition will develop inflammatory arthritis (Psoriatic Arthritis). Simon Skurkovich, M.D., Vice President of Research and Development and pioneer of anticytokine therapy for autoimmune conditions stated, "That in pilot studies, after a full 7-day course of therapy, papular papular characterized by the development of epidermal or oral mucosal papules. bovine papular stomatitis a benign stomatitis caused by a poxvirus in the genus Parapoxvirus. psoriatic lesions disappeared." According to the National Psoriasis Foundation The National Psoriasis Foundation is a patient-driven, non-profit US-based psoriasis education and advocacy group. The National Psoriasis Foundation's mission is to improve the quality of life of the millions of Americans with psoriasis and/or psoriatic arthritis by promoting , Psoriasis affects more than 7 million Americans. Vitiligo is a condition that affects skin coloration. With Vitiligo, the special cells that make pigment (the substance that controls skin color) are destroyed, resulting in patches of discolored dis·col·or v. dis·col·ored, dis·col·or·ing, dis·col·ors v.tr. To alter or spoil the color of; stain. v.intr. To become altered or spoiled in color. skin. Vitiligo often affects the chest and abdomen, but may be found on the face around the mouth, nostrils and eyes. This condition usually occurs in people suffering from Type 1 diabetes type 1 diabetes n. See diabetes mellitus. . There is no specific treatment for Vitiligo. Dr. Skurkovich further commented, "That on day 10 after a short-course of therapy in a pilot study, all patients showed loss of well-defined borders between normal and hypopigmented skin." According to the Vitiligo Research Foundation, this condition affects about 1% to 2% of the US population, or about 3 to 6 million people. In some countries, the incidence is even higher. Worldwide, there are thought to be more than 100 million people with the condition. Alopecia Areata is a highly unpredictable, autoimmune skin disease resulting in the loss of hair on the scalp and elsewhere on the body. In patients suffering from Alopecia Areata, the affected hair follicles Hair follicles Tiny organs in the skin, each one of which grows a single hair. Mentioned in: Alopecia are mistakenly attacked by a person's own immune system (white blood cells White blood cells A group of several cell types that occur in the bloodstream and are essential for a properly functioning immune system. Mentioned in: Abscess Incision & Drainage, Bone Marrow Transplantation, Complement Deficiencies ), resulting in the arrest of the hair growth stage. Alopecia Areata usually starts with one or more small, round, smooth bald patches on the scalp and can progress to total baldness. Dr. Skurkovich concluded by stating, "That in a pilot study for this disease, four weeks after a short-course of therapy, patients developed thin depigmented fine hair. After another 2-4 weeks, intensive growth of normal hair was observed in the treated lesions." According to the National Alopecia Areata Foundation, this common but very challenging and capricious disease affects approximately 1.7 percent of the population overall, including more than 4 million people in the United States alone. Statements made in this news release, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are subject to a number of uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed in our forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties which may affect the development, operations and results of our business include, but are not limited to the following: risks associated with clinical trials, the uncertainties of research and product development programs, the uncertainties of the regulatory approval process, the risks of competitive products, the risks of our current capital resources, the uncertainties as to the availability of future capital and our future capital requirements, and the risks associated with the extent and breadth of the Company's patent portfolio. The foregoing discussion of the effect of the patent issued and pending involves risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to the risks that third parties may be successful in challenging such patents; or that granted claims may be held invalid or interpreted differently by a court of law; or that new technologies will be developed that are superior in treating the diseases targeted by Advanced Biotherapy, Inc. Readers are cautioned not to place reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date the statements were made. See the Company's public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for further information about risks and uncertainties that may affect the Company and the results or expectations expressed in our forward-looking statements, including the section captioned "Factors That May Affect The Company" contained in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-KSB for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2001. |
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