Advanced Medical Isotope licensed brachytherapy seed patent granted

Advanced Medical Isotope (AMIC), a late stage development company engaged primarily in the development of brachytherapy devices and medical isotopes for diagnostic and therapeutic applications, announced that a patent was awarded for technology related to its brachytherapy products.

AMIC’s rights for the newly issued patent arise from its license from Battelle, under which AMIC exclusively licensed technologies developed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the University of Utah for its proposed brachytherapy products.

The patent awarded, US 8,821,364 B2, relates to AMIC’s brachytherapy seed product and is entitled: Brachytherapy Seed with Fast Dissolving Matrix for Optimal Delivery of Radionuclides to Cancer Tissue. AMIC will support Battelle in further patent protection for additional markets consistent with AMIC’s overall global commercialization strategy.

Brachytherapy is the use of radiation to destroy cancerous tumors by placing a radiation source inside or next to the treatment area. According to Global Industry Analysts, by 2016 the U.S. brachytherapy market will reach $2 billion.

Subject to receipt of required regulatory approvals from the FDA in the United States and analogous regulators outside of the United States, AMIC plans to introduce an innovative yttrium-90 (Y-90) based brachytherapy product line for a range of applications for the delivery of prescribed doses of radiation to target sites. The initial proposed products consist of:

Y-90 Fast-Resorbable Polymer Seeds – Y-90 contained within a polymer seed, as opposed to metal or glass.

Y-90 RadioGel(TM) device – combines Y-90 particles with a polymer carrier that may be injected directly into the tumor.

Y-90 Polymer Topical Paste – designed to be applied directly to tissue surfaces after surgical tumor removals (also referred to as "resections") to treat residual tumor cells.

AMIC CEO and Chairman James C. Katzaroff stated: "We are delighted that the U.S. Patent office has awarded this patent related to our brachytherapy seed product. We believe that there is a strong market for this product and that it offers significant benefits to patients and healthcare providers over existing brachytherapy seed products."