ARC Pharmaceuticals granted new U.S. patent

ARC Pharmaceuticals Inc. (ARC) announced today that The University of British Columbia (UBC) has been granted a new US patent entitled "Pharmaceutical Compositions and Methods Relating to Fucans, No. 6,812,220.

The patent protects key intellectual property exclusively licensed to ARC that may be used in the development of ARC's lead product candidates for the treatment of surgical adhesions.

"This issued patent strengthens ARC's intellectual property portfolio," said Dr. Chuck Winternitz, Director of Operations for ARC. "The polymers included broaden the Company's pipeline and may be useful in the development of films, gels and instillates for the treatment of surgical adhesion disease.

"UBC is pleased to see ARC's pipeline expanded with the issuance of this patent" commented Barbara M. Campbell, Technology Transfer Manager at the University Industry Liaison Office of UBC. "We look forward to continuing to build the portfolio and work together to bring the technologies closer to commercialization."

Surgical adhesions cause dysfunction and pain in millions of patients worldwide. It is a complex inflammatory disorder in which tissues that normally remain separated in the body grow into each other, usually as a response of the tissues to surgical trauma. Currently marketed products for the prevention of surgical adhesions, such as films, gels and sprays, are both difficult to apply and only marginally effective. ARC's revolutionary technology combines ease of use, decreased surgery time and effectiveness.