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Tag: patent

  • Hong Kong Grants Patent for IsletRx: 8 Things to Know About the Potential Diabetes Breakthrough

    Hong Kong Grants Patent for IsletRx: 8 Things to Know About the Potential Diabetes Breakthrough

    A person testing their blood sugar with a meter displaying a reading of 5.5 mmol/L, surrounded by diabetes management items such as syringes, pills, and an apple on a blue background.

    NLS Pharmaceutics and Kadimastem just scored a major win with a new Hong Kong patent covering IsletRx, a stem cell–based therapy designed to tackle insulin-dependent diabetes. Beyond the legal milestone, this development carries weight for patients, investors, and the broader medical field. Here are eight things you need to know.

    1. A New Patent in Asia
      The Hong Kong Intellectual Property Department granted Kadimastem protection for its cell-selection and enrichment technology used in IsletRx.
    2. Global IP Portfolio Strengthened
      This patent adds to existing protections already secured in Europe, the United States, and India, building a global wall around the technology.
    3. Why Hong Kong Matters
      Hong Kong is not only a significant diabetes market but also a gateway into Mainland China and the Greater Bay Area, opening doors for future clinical collaborations.
    4. Diabetes in Numbers
      Roughly 706,000 adults in Hong Kong live with diabetes, representing about 8.2% of the adult population. Healthcare costs linked to the disease could hit $90 billion.
    5. What Is IsletRx?
      It’s a scalable platform designed to generate insulin-producing cells that mimic natural pancreatic islets, potentially restoring insulin regulation in patients.
    6. Corporate Leaders Weigh In
      NLS Pharmaceutics CEO Alexander Zwyer highlighted the strategic importance of Hong Kong in advancing the long-term goals of IsletRx.
    7. Aiming for a Global Cure
      Kadimastem’s CEO Ronen Twito emphasized that each new patent territory validates the technology and moves the company closer to clinical trials and patient access.
    8. Hope Beyond Treatment
      Unlike existing therapies that manage diabetes, IsletRx is being developed with the bold goal of curing the disease, not just controlling it.

    With diabetes continuing to place a heavy economic and health burden worldwide, this patent marks another step toward a future where cell-based therapies could change lives.

  • NLS Pharmaceutics, Kadimastem announce HK Patent for Diabetes Meds

    NLS Pharmaceutics, Kadimastem announce HK Patent for Diabetes Meds

    A person checking their blood sugar level with a glucometer while surrounded by syringes, medication, and a calendar, illustrating diabetes management.

    NLS Pharmaceutics Ltd. (Nasdaq: NLSP) (“NLS” or the “Company”) today announced that its merger partner Kadimastem Ltd. (TASE: KDST) (“Kadimastem”) has been granted a patent by the Hong Kong Intellectual Property Department covering Kadimastem’s proprietary cell selection and enrichment technology used in the development of IsletRx, a stem cell–derived therapy candidate intended to treat—and potentially cure—insulin-dependent diabetes.

    According to Kadimastem, the Hong Kong patent adds to previously granted patents in Europe, the United States and India, further strengthening the global protection around IsletRx. The patented process enables the selection and enrichment of highly functional islet cells from differentiated cell populations to help maximize therapeutic effect.

    Alexander Zwyer, Chief Executive Officer of NLS Pharmaceutics, commented:
    “We congratulate Kadimastem on this important intellectual property (IP) milestone. Expanding protection into Hong Kong—a key life-sciences hub in Asia—supports the long-term strategy for IsletRx and Kadimastem’s broader diabetes program. With hundreds of millions of people worldwide living with diabetes, continued progress on strong, defensible intellectual property is essential as Kadimastem works toward clinical development and future patient access.”

    Ronen Twito, Executive Chairman and CEO of Kadimastem, commented:
    “This additional patent approval in Hong Kong is an important milestone in strengthening our global IP portfolio for IsletRx. We believe that each new territory where IP protection is secured further validates the uniqueness of our technology and provides important protection as we advance toward clinical development. Diabetes is a global challenge, and this patent reinforces our long-term strategy to bring a potentially curative cell therapy to patients worldwide.”

    Diabetes represents a significant and growing health and economic burden in Hong Kong.

    The International Diabetes Federation estimated in 2024 that approximately 706,000 adults in Hong Kong are living with diabetes, representing an 8.2% prevalence among the adult population, a figure supported by the Hong Kong Department of Health’s 2020–2022 Population Health Survey, which found an 8.5% prevalence of diabetes or raised blood glucose among individuals aged 15–84.

    Lifetime healthcare expenditures for individuals diagnosed with diabetes (men and women) are substantial, averaging $125,000 per patient in 2017.

    Applied to Hong Kong’s adult diabetes population, this represents a potential economic impact of approximately $90 billion.

    About IsletRx
    Kadimastem’s IsletRx platform aims to provide a scalable, stem cell–derived source of insulin-producing islet-like cells capable of secreting insulin and glucagon in response to glucose levels. The program is designed to address key challenges in diabetes care by supplying functional endocrine cells for transplant.

    About NLS Pharmaceutics
    NLS Pharmaceutics Ltd. (Nasdaq: NLSP) is a Swiss-based biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of innovative therapies for central nervous system disorders and related indications. For more information, visit www.nlspharma.com.

    About Kadimastem
    Kadimastem Ltd. (TASE: KDST) is a clinical-stage cell therapy company developing allogeneic, “off-the-shelf” cell products for neurodegenerative diseases and diabetes. For more information, visit www.kadimastem.com.