VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 7, 2005--MIV
Therapeutics, Inc. (OTCBB:
MIVT -
News; Frankfurt/FSE:MIV), a developer of
next-generation biocompatible stent coatings and drug delivery
technologies, today announced the filing of landmark US and
international Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) patent applications for
the newest member of its advanced "Smart" drug delivery systems,
designed to meet the individual needs of millions of patients.
MIVT's cutting-edge system combines nanotechnology and
pharmaceutical solutions, to produce nano-to-micro sized particles
that provide an unprecedented, highly versatile platform for localized
delivery of a variety drugs to treat a range of conditions. This
system is designed to expand the boundaries of drug delivery
adaptability with broad application possibilities and customized
medical treatments. Called "Smart III," this novel particulate
composite technology allows for the storage and delivery of one or
more drugs within each particle's nano-layer.
Smart III technology could moreover be applied to medical device
coatings, tablets, capsules, and other drug delivery methods to treat
a diverse range of diseases, from cancer to HIV to cardiovascular
disease, said Dr. Dean-Mo Liu, Chief Scientist of Drug Delivery
Technologies at MIVT in Vancouver, Canada. "The release of a drug or
drugs is now controllable via slow diffusion and/or layer-by-layer
degradation of this novel nanostructure, with possible drug release
patterns ranging from slow diffusion to a burst release, depending on
the clinical need. In addition, Smart III nanoparticles can be
administered in various forms, including via drug injection,
inhalation, oral pill, spraying, or capsule."
Advanced drug elution technologies are absorbing an increasingly
large share of the global biotechnology marketplace. Drug eluting
medical device coatings, for example, have produced a paradigm shift
in clinical care since their commercial debut in the last couple of
years. The U.S. Dept. of Commerce estimates a burgeoning domestic
market for advanced drug delivery systems of $86 billion in 2007, and
more than $150 billion globally.
"We believe that this invention represents a major breakthrough in
pharmaceutical technology and eventually, in patient care," said Dr.
Liu. "It advances the possibilities of drug delivery to targeted
tissues and can apply to a range of drugs, especially water-insoluble
agents such as anti-cancer drugs, protein drugs and anti-HIV drugs. In
addition, this unique structure could be suitable to deliver contrast
agents for extended periods of time, to enhance medical diagnostic
tests."
The Smart III patent filing represents the latest "Smart"
proprietary technology developed by MIVT. Earlier members of the
"Smart" family of drug delivery technologies were specifically
designed for advanced medical device coatings on implantable medical
devices. The newest member, however, has much broader potential use
for drug delivery purposes because of its novel and
highly-customizable particulate structure.
Arc Rajtar, Chief Technology Officer at MIVT, said, "This
breakthrough drug delivery solution puts MIV Therapeutics firmly
within the ranks of leading innovators in the burgeoning market for
next-generation drug delivery capabilities. We are very excited by the
potential of this remarkably flexible technology, which brings the
promise of superior drug delivery performance."
MIVT's "Smart" technologies are under development at MIVT's
Vancouver-based research and development facility under the
stewardship of Dr. Liu. The proprietary technology is entirely owned
by MIVT.
About MIV Therapeutics, Inc.
MIV Therapeutics, Inc. is developing a next-generation line of
advanced biocompatible coatings for passive and drug-eluting
application on cardiovascular stents and for application on other
implantable medical devices. The Company's ultra-thin coating
formulation is designed primarily to protect surrounding tissue from
the chemical interaction with metal stents. The Company's unique
ultra-thin coating has been derived from a biocompatible material
called Hydroxyapatite (HAp) that during in-vivo animal trials
demonstrated excellent safety and superior healing properties pursued
by the science in the field of advanced implantable drug delivery
systems. Hydroxyapatite is a bioactive porous material that makes up
the bone mineral and matrix of teeth. It is widely used as a bone
substitute material and for coating implantable fixation devices in
orthopedic, dental and other applications. The Company's novel drug
eluting technologies based on Hydroxyapatite provide an attractive
alternative solution to polymer-based drug eluting coatings currently
in the stent market. The Company's diversified and unique family of
"Smart" drug delivery technologies is designed to suit a broad range
of implantable medical devices which may benefit from a highly
customizable drug release profile. MIVT reached a Collaborative
Research Agreement (CRA) with the University of British Columbia and
supported a research and development grant from the Natural Sciences
and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) in 2002 for the
development of Hydroxyapatite as a drug-eluting coating. In December
2004 MIVT received a Government grant for the research program titled
"Development of Novel Drug Eluting Composite Coatings for
Cardiovascular Stents" under the National Research Council -
Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP). Under this
sponsorship the Company will progress to the development stage, which
is expected to finalize the drug-eluting research and development
Program. MIVT is also traded on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the
ticker symbol MIV. For more information, please visit:
http://www.trilogy-capital.com/tcp/mivt/website.html. To read or
download MIV Therapeutics' Investor Fact Sheet, visit
http://www.trilogy-capital.com/tcp/mivt/factsheet.html. To obtain
daily and historical Company stock quote data, and recent Company news
releases, visit http://www.trilogy-capital.com/tcp/html/mivt.htm.
Forward-Looking Statements
Except for the historical information contained herein, the
matters discussed in this press release are forward-looking
statements. Such statements are indicated by words or phrases such as
"believe," "will," "breakthrough," "significant," "indicated," "feel,"
"revolutionary," "should," "ideal," "extremely" and "excited." These
statements are made under "Safe Harbor" provisions of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ
materially from those described in forward-looking statements and are
subject to risks and uncertainties. See the Company's filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission including, without limitation, the
Company's recent Form 10-K and Form 10-Qs, which identify specific
factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially
from those described in the forward-looking statements.
Contact:
MIV Therapeutics, Inc.
Investor Relations
604-301-9545
Toll-free: 800-221-5108
Fax: 604-301-9546
E-mail: investor@mivtherapeutics.com
Web: www.mivtherapeutics.com
Or
for Product Inquiries and Business Opportunities:
Arc Rajtar, 604-301-9545 Ext. 22
arajtar@mivi.ca
or
Investor Relations
Trilogy Capital Partners
Paul Karon, Toll-free: 800-342-1467
paul@trilogy-capital.com