Capricor Announces Licensing of Additional Patent Applications from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for Cellular and Exosome-based Technologies
New Patent Applications Pave Way for Capricor to Develop Potential New Therapeutic Platforms for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and other Disorders
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 16, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Capricor Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CAPR) announced today that it has added seven new patent applications to its existing Exclusive License Agreements with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for technologies related to cardiosphere-derived cells (CDCs) and CDC-derived extracellular vesicles, including exosomes.
The Exclusive License Agreements with Cedars-Sinai grant Capricor exclusive worldwide rights to commercially develop and market CDCs, which comprise Capricor’s lead investigational cell therapy, CAP-1002, as well as CDC-derived exosomes, which comprise its lead investigational exosome-based therapy candidate, CAP-2003. The new patent applications expand the scope of the Exclusive License Agreements to enable Capricor to develop new therapeutic indications for its cellular and exosome therapies in Duchenne muscular dystrophy, ventricular tachyarrhythmia, cancer and age-related disorders.
“Obtaining the rights to these additional patent applications will expand and potentially strengthen Capricor’s intellectual property portfolio,” said Linda Marbán, Ph.D., Capricor president and CEO. “Capricor is moving forward with a clinical trial this year for CAP-1002 as an intravenous therapy in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Pending regulatory approval, we also plan to launch a clinical trial of CAP-2003 in hypoplastic left heart syndrome.”
Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a progressive disease that afflicts approximately 200,000 boys and young men, causing muscle degeneration and leading to death, most commonly from heart failure and before the age of 30. Treatment options are limited, and there is no cure. Capricor recently reported significant improvements in cardiac and skeletal muscle function in patients in the advanced stages of Duchenne muscular dystrophy following a single, intracoronary dose of CAP-1002.
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome is a congenital heart defect that affects about 960 newborns in the U.S. each year and is associated with high rates of mortality and heart failure secondary to the condition.
About Capricor Therapeutics
Capricor Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:CAPR) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of first-in-class biological therapeutics for the treatment of rare disorders. Capricor’s lead candidate, CAP-1002, is an allogeneic cell therapy that is currently in clinical development for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Capricor has also established itself as one of the leading companies investigating the field of extracellular vesicles and is exploring the potential of CAP-2003, a cell-free, exosome-based candidate, to treat a variety of disorders. For more information, visit www.capricor.com.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release regarding the efficacy, safety, and intended utilization of Capricor's product candidates; the initiation, conduct, size, timing and results of discovery efforts and clinical trials; the pace of enrollment of clinical trials; plans regarding regulatory filings, future research and clinical trials; regulatory developments involving products, including the ability to obtain regulatory approvals or otherwise bring products to market; plans regarding current and future collaborative activities and the ownership of commercial rights; scope, duration, validity and enforceability of intellectual property rights; future royalty streams, expectations with respect to the expected use of proceeds from the recently completed offerings and the anticipated effects of the offerings, and any other statements about Capricor's management team's future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans or prospects constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements that are not statements of historical fact (including statements containing the words "believes," "plans," "could," "anticipates," "expects," "estimates," "should," "target," "will," "would" and similar expressions) should also be considered to be forward-looking statements. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. More information about these and other risks that may impact Capricor's business is set forth in Capricor's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 16, 2017, in its Registration Statement on Form S-3, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 28, 2015, together with the prospectus included therein and prospectus supplements thereto, and in its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2017, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 14, 2017. All forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to Capricor as of the date hereof, and Capricor assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
CAP-1002 is an Investigational New Drug and is not approved for any indications. CAP-2003 has not yet been approved for clinical investigation.
For more information, please contact: AJ Bergmann, Chief Financial Officer +1-310-358-3200 abergmann@capricor.com
Released January 16, 2018