Aphios awarded US patent for compositions, methods for treating diseases involving 5-α reductase enzyme

Aphios® Corporation today announced that it was awarded United States Patent No. 7,744,935 B2 for "Compositions and Methods for Inhibiting 5-α Reductase," granted June 29, 2010. This invention is related to compositions and methods for treating diseases involving the 5-alpha (α) reductase enzyme.

“Compositions and Methods for Inhibiting 5-α Reductase”

5-α reductase is responsible for causing benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and male pattern baldness (alopecia) in men as well as hirsutism (male-pattern body hair) in women. An estimated 50% of men above 50 in the United States have BPH that causes urinary hesitation and frequent urination and night time visits to the bathroom. The incidence of BPH increases to 60% for men over sixty, 70% for men above 70, 80% or men above 80 following an Arrhenius-type plot. BPH has been linked to the incidence of prostate cancer that is the most prevalent cancer among men; and the second leading cause of cancer death among men in the US. More than 500,000 prostate cancer cases are diagnosed each year in the United States, 1 in 6 American males will develop prostate cancer and 300,000 die of prostate cancer each year.

This invention is utilized in Aphios' SuperCool™ Palmetto and Sperol™ products for several conditions including benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostatic cancer, hirsutism, acne, male pattern baldness, seborrhea, and other androgen hyperactivity diseases. The active pharmaceutical ingredient, finasteride, of Merck's Proscar® for BPH and Propecia® for male pattern baldness work by the same mechanism of 5-α reductase inhibition as SuperCool™ Palmetto and Sperol™, which are natural alternatives to these drugs with fewer side effects.

The source for the active pharmaceutical ingredients in both SuperCool™ Palmetto and Sperol™ is the Serenoa repens (Saw Palmetto) berry. The therapeutic compositions of the invention were discovered using Aphios' patented SuperFluids™ CXF drug discovery technologies and manufactured using Aphios' patented SuperFluids™ CXP drug manufacturing technologies. These technologies ensure purity, increase extraction efficiency and overall yield, and are environmentally friendly. These technologies are also utilized in Aphios' Zindol® and SuperCool™ Gingerol products for nausea and vomiting, and Xantol™ and SuperCool™ St. John's products for emotional well-being, relaxed outlook, and positive moods.

Aphios®, http://www.aphios.com and http://www.SuperCoolHealth.com, is a "green" biotechnology company developing enabling technology platforms for improved drug discovery and manufacturing, nanotechnology drug delivery and pathogenic drug safety. Based on these platforms, we are developing enhanced therapeutic products for health maintenance, disease prevention and the treatment of certain cancers, infectious diseases and Central Nervous System (CNS) disorders.

Research leading to this invention was in part conducted under a SBIR grant 1R43 AT00321-01 from the National Center of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Source Aphios Corporation