Fina Biotech announces that the European Patent Office (EPO) has granted patent number EP2951315 to protect a ´NON-INVASIVE DIAGNOSTIC METHOD FOR DIAGNOSING BLADDER CANCER´ (NICHTINVASIVES DIAGNOSEVERFAHREN ZUR DIAGNOSE VON BLASENKREBS-
PROCÉDÉ DE DIAGNOSTIC NON INVASIF POUR DIAGNOSTIQUER LE CANCER DE LA VESSIE). The patent has been validated in Germany, France and UK and will be in force until January 31st, 2034.
The object of this patent relates to a non-invasive bladder cancer diagnosis method based on the detection and quantification in spontaneous urine of the gene expression of certain genes and/or combinations thereof acting as genetic markers of said disease. Likewise, the use of said genes as bladder cancer diagnosis genetic markers is an object of the present invention, developed by Fina Biotech in collaboration Dr. Antonio Alcaraz and his team at the Hospital Clinic de Barcelona (Spain). Another object of the patent also relates to a bladder cancer diagnosis kit based on the use of several combinations of said genes that have proven to be useful to non-invasively diagnose bladder cancer.
This new patent strengthens the intellectual property portfolio of Fina Biotech and confirms the company strategic commitment in developing non-invasive diagnostic tools useful for patients, doctors and healthcare providers.
Fina Biotech S.L. (www.finabiotech.es) is a spin-off of Laboratorios Indas (www.indas.com), with a strong pipeline of biotechnology projects and a proven track record in product development. Fina Biotech has invested close to €12 million in 28 projects in the diagnostics and cell therapy fields, most of them in partnership with public and private institutions, laboratories and universities. A product developed by Fina Biotech, a diagnostic test for male infertility (Halosperm®) is already marketed. A bladder cancer diagnostic test based on RT-qPCR technology has already been validated in clinical studies and has proven to have better sensitivity and specificity than competitive products.