Genelabs Announces Issuance of U.S. Patent on DHEA Composition and Method

15-Jun-2006

Genelabs Technologies, Inc. announced the issuance of U.S. patent No. 7,045,513 entitled "DHEA Composition and Method." The patent claims pharmaceutical formulations of dehydroepiandrosterone, or DHEA, in certain purified polymorphic forms. DHEA is the active ingredient in Prestara(TM), the company's investigational drug for systemic lupus erythematosus, or lupus. Genelabs formulation of Prestara is a highly purified synthetic form of DHEA, or prasterone, and the patent covers the specific polymorphic formulation of DHEA used in Genelabs' most recent clinical trials. The patent is scheduled to expire in August 2022.

"I am very pleased to have this patent issue on our formulation of Prestara" stated James A.D. Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer. "We are currently working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on the design of a prospective phase III clinical trial to evaluate the ability of Prestara to reduce the incidence of flares in lupus patients. We are also in the process of seeking external project-directed funding for this trial, as we have earmarked most of our current financial resources for our three hepatitis C virus drug discovery programs, two of which are now partnered with premier pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies."

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