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OptiBiotix Health (LON:OPTI), a life science business developing compounds to tackle obesity, has filed two new patents relating to its cholesterol-reducing product.
The company said it now has 11 patents covering the product, with the latest patents reflecting the success of both human studies and manufacturing studies, plus the identification of additional health benefits (hypertension reduction) shown by its cholesterol reducing strain.
The company said it believes that filing these patents adds a further layer of protection to its intellectual property portfolio, creates valuable assets, and increases the number of product opportunities.
“We are pleased to announce the filing of these patents which add a further level of protection and value to our cholesterol reducing product,” said Stephen O'Hara, chief executive officer of OptiBiotix.
“We believe these patents will further enhance the value proposition and negotiating position with commercial partners and make a significant contribution to building a successful and sustainable business for shareholders.”
Broker Hybridan said the announcement gives some pointers to the ongoing success and development of the company’s cholesterol reducing product.
The product recently completed human studies, but OptiBiotix is unable to disclose full details of those studies because of a confidentiality clause under an option it has with a multi-national consumer goods company.
However, the inference that could be drawn from the latest patent applications is that the studies proved efficacy, and that manufacturing the drugs in large quantities at low cost is not likely to be a problem.
Speaking to Proactive Investors, CEO Stephen O’Hara said the consumer goods company was just one of a plethora of possible partners for the many products that could be generated by the company’s platform technologies.
A core part of OptiBiotix's business plan is to have more than one technology platform and to use each one to create what O’Hara called “multiple product and partnering opportunities”.
“This strategy has created a lot of industry interest and the challenge is to ensure we clearly differentiate the multiple product opportunities with multiple partners to maximum the benefit to OptiBiotix and its shareholders,” O'Hara said.
Shares rose from Monday's closing value of 56.34p to finish at 59.70p on Tuesday. The shares have tripled in value this year.