D-Pharm Ltd has been granted a U.S. Patent, No. 6,458,837, from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office entitled 'Lipophilic Diesters of Chelating Agents'.The new patent provides wide and strong protection for D-Pharm's Membrane Active Chelator (MAC) Technology and includes claims for new chemical entities, their pharmaceutical compositions and use in treating diseases related to an excess or imbalances of divalent metal ions.The patent is particularly broad in scope and confirms the novelty of the MAC technology.It establishes D-Pharm's priority for using these novel agents for the treatment of critical disorders such as stroke, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease and cardiac ischemia.

The patent is a valuable addition to D-Pharm's expanding portfolio that includes over 100 pending and issued patents worldwide, covering D-Pharm's lipid-based drugs and technologies. "This is a strategic addition to our portfolio, strengthening the company's position as a center of excellence for lipid-based therapeutics," said Dr. Alex Kozak, President and CEO of D-Pharm. "D-Pharm is a leader in the application of lipophilic metal chelators for treatment of the most debilitating human diseases. Our unique approach to neurodegenerative disorders is gaining increasing appreciation by pharmaceutical companies and the investment community." added Dr. Kozak.

D-Pharm's MAC drug discovery platform is based on lipid modification of metal ion chelators. Known chelators used as drugs sequester metal ions in blood and body fluids, with potential for serious unwanted side effects. In contrast, MAC drugs are designed to bind metal ions such as copper, zinc, calcium and iron selectively within cell membranes and membrane milieus, rendering the action localized and safe. The company's most advanced MAC based products include DP-b99, currently in Phase II for acute stroke and DP-109 in preclinical development for Parkinson's disease.

"This innovative class of drugs, currently in development for neurological and age-associated diseases, demonstrates a remarkable safety profile and exploits a unique multi-targeted approach to neuroprotection", said Dr. Itzhack Angel, D-Pharm's Vice President of Research and Development.

DP-b99 was designed and developed by D-Pharm as a neuroprotective agent for treatment of acute stroke.It showed a remarkable safety profile in Phase I clinical trials, even when administered at 100 times the expected effective dose.Phase II clinical trials of DP-b99 in stroke victims are ongoing in Europe. DP-b99 functions at several levels in the neurodegeneration process. It attenuates depolarization of neurons, modulates neuronal excitability, reduces metal ion dependent, cell damaging enzymatic activities and restricts intracellular diffusion of metal ions. The product is highly efficacious in pre-clinical stroke models, both in reducing the brain infarct volumes, and in the recovery of neurological function.