Ixion Biotechnology, the only biotech company in the world working with oxalate and oxalate related diseases, has received a notice of allowance of patent claims covering reduced absorption of oxalate in the diet.

This newest patent further undergirds Ixion's progress in the areas of diagnosis and treatment of human oxalate-related conditions, such as kidney stones, hyperoxaluria, cystic fibrosis, cardiomyopathy, cardiac conductance disorders, Crohn's disease, renal failure and toxic death, and vulvodynia, as well as kidney stones and other oxalate-related conditions in dogs and cats.

There are over 1.3 million US human kidney stone incidents annually, and no effective method of prevention. Kidney stone incidents in America 's 60 million cats and 50 million dogs are a serious and growing problem.

The allowed claims cover methods for reducing absorption of dietary oxalate by administering a composition (including oral formulations) of whole live organisms selected from a group of oxalate-degrading microbes (such as Oxalobacter formigenes) or the oxalate-degrading enzymes derived from such organisms.

"This US patent allowance brings Ixion's array of oxalate patents to five US oxalate patents issued or allowed, plus one foreign oxalate patent issued to date," reports Ixion's Chairman and CEO, Weaver H. Gaines.

Harmeet Sidhu, Vice President and Director of Research of Ixion's Oxalate Division, who together with Milton Allison, of Iowa State University, was the co-inventor, said "This patent allows us to continue our development of products from naturally occurring microorganisms which can be taken with food, or perhaps included in yogurt or a similar substance, to help people reduce the level of oxalate in their bodies. We believe that many people suffering from excess oxalate will benefit from these products intended to reduce the amounts of dietary oxalate that would otherwise be absorbed."

Ixion specializes in discovering, developing, manufacturing and marketing products to treat and prevent diabetes. Recently, Ixion received broad-based media attention for its research showing the feasibility of using stem cells to produce new pancreatic tissue to treat and possibly cure diabetes. The company, which holds worldwide exclusive licenses to patents and pending patents for diabetes treatments, also holds exclusive licenses to patents for treatments of oxalate-related disorders, such as kidney stones.