Starpharma's VivaGelR patent approved in Japan

Starpharma Holdings Limited today announced that one of its key patents relating to the use of dendrimers to protect against sexually transmitted infections has been approved in Japan.

This approval means that VivaGel and the VivaGel coated condom are now covered by granted patents in all major markets including Europe, the US and Japan.

Last month Starpharma announced a full licence agreement with SSL International plc (LSE:SSL) in relation to the VivaGel coated condom, with estimated receipts in excess of A$100m comprising royalties, milestone payments and development support. In addition Starpharma is continuing to develop VivaGel as a stand-alone product for use by women to protect themselves from HIV and HSV-2 (genital herpes). The development for these two indications has significant NIH support.

Starpharma Holdings Limited is a world leader in the development of dendrimer nanotechnology for pharmaceutical, life-science and other applications. SPL is principally composed of two operating companies, Starpharma Pty Ltd in Melbourne, Australia and Dendritic Nanotechnologies, Inc in Michigan, USA. Products based on SPL's dendrimer technology are already on the market in the form of diagnostic elements and laboratory reagents.

The Company's lead pharmaceutical development product is VivaGel (SPL7013 Gel), a vaginal microbicide designed to prevent the transmission of STIs, including HIV and genital herpes.

In the wider pharmaceutical field Starpharma has specific programs in the areas of Drug Delivery and Drug Optimisation technologies (using dendrimers to control where and when drugs go when introduced to the body) and Targeted Diagnostics (using dendrimers as a scaffold to which both location-signalling and targeting groups are added to allow location of specific cell type, such as cancer cells). More broadly the company is exploring dendrimer opportunities in materials science with applications as diverse as adhesives, lubricants and water remediation.

SPL has a comprehensive IP portfolio with around 200 patents granted and applications pending - a unique level of IP concentration among nanotechnology companies.

Dendrimers: A type of precisely-defined, branched nanoparticle. Dendrimers have applications in the medical, electronics, chemicals and materials industries.