Arbios Systems Strengthens Its Proprietary Position for Blood Filtration Therapies in Critical Care Medicine
March 30 2007 - 9:30AM
PR Newswire (US)
In-Licensed Patents Provide Competitive Protection in Liver
Failure, Multi-Organ Failure and Sepsis WALTHAM, Mass., March 30
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Arbios Systems, Inc. (OTC:ABOS) (BULLETIN
BOARD: ABOS) , a company developing proprietary medical devices and
cell-based therapies for the millions of patients each year who
experience or are at risk for life-threatening episodes of liver
failure, today announced the in-licensing of a patent portfolio of
issued U.S. patents as well as pending U.S. and foreign
applications and other intellectual property. The exclusive license
includes five issued U.S. patents with broad claims for methods of
treating liver failure, multi-organ failure, multi-organ
dysfunction syndrome, sepsis, septic shock, systemic inflammatory
response syndrome, and related inflammatory disorders by selective
blood filtration. Walter C. Ogier, President and Chief Executive
Officer of Arbios Systems Inc., commented, "The in-license of this
important patent portfolio represents a significant development for
Arbios and our SEPET(TM) product candidate. We now have the
protection of issued and pending patents for our lead SEPET(TM)
Liver Assist Device development program. This intellectual property
provides further protection for our planned extension of our
SEPET(TM) technology into other areas of critical care medicine,
including major opportunities for the treatment of multi-organ
failure, sepsis, and related indications in critical care
medicine." The in-licensed U.S. patents relate to the use of blood
filtration devices that remove, from the blood of patients with the
above disease conditions, a broad spectrum of inflammatory and
other disease mediators ranging from small molecules through
intermediate size blood proteins with molecular weights up to the
size of beneficial immunoglobulins. Such devices are capable of
removing known "bad actor" compounds associated with liver failure,
multi-organ failure and sepsis while preserving critical
immunoglobulins, clotting factors, lipids, and other beneficial
large proteins in the circulating blood of afflicted patients. The
patents also relate to the combined use of replacement fluids,
including human serum albumin, or combined uses of secondary
selective plasma adsorption devices and/or certain classes of
anti-inflammatory therapeutic drugs. Arbios will be obligated to
pay royalties on net sales of products covered by the license. The
Company will also owe maintenance and milestone fees and have
certain other obligations under the license. In connection with the
license, Arbios issued the licensor a warrant to purchase 225,000
shares of the Arbios common stock at an exercise price of $1.50
with a 6-year term. In addition, Arbios entered into consulting
arrangements with certain inventors of the patents subject to the
license agreement, to assist the Company with the continued
prosecution of the patents as well as provide strategic and
consulting services. About Arbios Systems Arbios Systems, Inc. is
developing proprietary medical devices and cell-based therapies to
enhance the survival of millions of patients each year who
experience, or are at risk for, life-threatening episodes of liver
failure. The Arbios product candidate portfolio includes the
SEPET(TM) Liver Assist Device, a novel blood purification therapy
that provides enhanced "liver dialysis," and the HepatAssist(TM)
Cell-Based Liver Support System, a bioartificial liver that
combines blood detoxification with liver cell therapy to replace
whole liver function in patients with the most severe forms of
liver failure. Arbios is currently investigating the safety and
biological effectiveness of its SEPET(TM) Liver Assist Device in a
feasibility clinical trial authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration under an investigational device exemption (IDE).
This press release contains forward-looking statements. These
statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual
events or results to differ materially from the events or results
described in the forward-looking statements, including risks or
uncertainties related to the protection afforded by patents and
patents applications, the goals and results of clinical trials,
compliance with regulatory requirements, labeling of the Arbios'
products, the need for subsequent substantial additional financing
to complete clinical development of its product candidates, future
markets and demand for the Arbios' product candidates, Arbios'
ability to successfully market its product candidates and
technologies, and the Arbios' ability to maintain relationships
with key employees, consultants and advisors. These statements
represent the judgment of Arbios' management as of this date and
are subject to risks and uncertainties that could materially affect
the Company. Arbios cautions investors that there can be no
assurance that actual results or business conditions will not
differ materially from those projected or suggested in such
forward-looking statements. Please refer to our Annual Report on
Form 10-KSB for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2005 for a
description of risks that may affect our results or business
conditions. Arbios does not undertake any obligation to publicly
release the result of any revisions to such forward-looking
statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances
after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated
events, except as required by law. SEPET(TM) and HepatAssist(TM)
are trademarks of Arbios Systems, Inc. DATASOURCE: Arbios Systems,
Inc. CONTACT: Walter C. Ogier, President and CEO of ARBIOS,
+1-781-839-7293; or Doug MacDougall of MacDOUGALL BIOMEDICAL
COMMUNICATIONS, +1-508-647-0209 Web site: http://www.arbios.com/
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