USPTO issues notice of allowance for Vermillion's PAD biomarker patent

Vermillion, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRML), a molecular diagnostics company, today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued a notice of allowance for a patent entitled "Beta-2 microglobulin as a Biomarker for Peripheral Artery Disease." The patent comprises a broad range of biomarker combinations.

"This will be our fourth patent for biomarkers that can be used for the diagnosis of PAD and is particularly important because it covers various potential permutations of candidate biomarkers and will therefore cover a broad range of possibilities in our intended use study.  Additionally, it protects Vermillion if someone else attempts to try a different combination covered by this claim," said Gail S. Page, CEO of Vermillion.