Xintela (XINT) announces that the Japanese Patent Office (JPO) has granted a patent covering the company’s stem cell product XSTEM^® for the treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and related disorders. The patent, JP 7821414, can be kept in force in Japan until 7 May 2041. Japan is the world’s third largest pharmaceutical market and is therefore strategic for the continued development and commercialisation of XSTEM.

The granted patent covers the use of integrin α10‑selected mesenchymal stem cells in the treatment of ARDS, involving in stabilising blood circulation, improving oxygenation, reducing blood coagulation, preventing tissue damage and modulating the inflammatory response associated with ARDS. Importantly, the claims cover treatment of ARDS caused by viral infections, such as COVID‑19/SARS‑CoV‑2, bacterial infections that can lead to sepsis (the most common cause of ARDS), trauma‑induced ARDS and ARDS in newborns. ARDS has a mortality of approximately 40% and no disease‑modifying pharmacotherapy is approved today.

“This patent in Japan, which is the first grant in this patent family, is an important milestone for Xintela. It strengthens our IP position for XSTEM in respiratory diseases in one of the world’s most attractive pharma markets and supports our strategy of advancing XSTEM in ARDS therapy together with a partner. The patent protection, combined with the strong preclinical data we published in Respiratory Research, gives us a compelling package for partnering discussions in Japan and internationally” says Xintela CEO, Evy Lundgren‑Åkerlund.

The preclinical studies that support the patent were initiated during the COVID‑19 pandemic in collaboration with Professor Sandra Lindstedt and her team at The Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Skåne University Hospital and at Lund University and were partly financed by Vinnova - Sweden’s Innovation Agency. The results were published in Respiratory Research in 2023 (see Xintela’s website).