FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Illinois biotechnology company patent claims uses relating to certain pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications of S-ABA.
LIBERTYVILLE, IL, September 17, 2013 – Valent BioSciences Corporation (VBC), a worldwide leader in the discovery, development, manufacturing, and commercialization of biorational products, announced today it has been awarded Patent No. 8,536,224 by the United States Patent and Trade Office for the therapeutic use of S-Abscisic Acid (S- ABA) and certain derivatives in select human and animal health applications. The patent includes five claims relating to methods for treating attention deficit disorder, treating prostate enlargement, increasing post-natal weight gain, increasing post-natal survival rates, and increasing immunological function.
As the only commercial scale producer and marketer of S-ABA products in the world, the patent further strengthens VBC’s global position with this important molecule. Abscisic Acid is a naturally occurring substance found in all plants, including fruits and vegetables. It is actively involved in a variety of important plant growth processes including dormancy, fruit ripening, fruit set, fruit coloring, abscission, germination, and response to stress conditions. VBC currently holds more than 40 ABA-related patents and sells commercial S-ABA products into agricultural markets around the globe.
“VBC has been researching ABA globally in multiple agricultural and non-agricultural applications since the early 2000s,” said Dr. Warren Shafer, Vice President of Research and Development for VBC. “Since that time, we have developed a robust and proprietary data package that includes a wide array of efficacy and toxicology results. We consider S-ABA to be a franchise molecule and have strategic interests in seeing this molecule expand into markets beyond crop production. This patent is just one result of that work.”
Shafer notes that VBC has several additional ABA-related patent applications pending both in the US and around the world, and that VBC is actively seeking parties potentially interested in further commercializing this technology. Inquiries can be submitted through the company’s website at www.valentbiosciences.com.
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About Valent BioSciences Corporation
Headquartered in Libertyville, IL, Valent BioSciences is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd. Valent BioSciences is the worldwide leader in the development, manufacturing and commercialization of biorational products, with sales in 95 countries around the world. Valent BioSciences is an ISO 9001:2008 Certified Company. For additional information, visit the company’s website at www.valentbiosciences.com.
Media Contact:
Rick Melnick
Valent BioSciences Corporation 847-968-4780
Email: rick.melnick@valentbiosciences.com