SAN DIEGO, Jan. 7, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lithera, Inc. today announced receipt of a Notice of Allowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a patent application covering formulations and methods of using LIPO-202 (Salmeterol Xinafoate for Injection), Lithera's novel injectable product under development for selective, non-ablative, local fat reduction. Once issued, this patent should provide the company with patent protection for LIPO-202 until at least 2030.
"This patent, when issued, will broaden and strengthen the Lithera patent portfolio surrounding long-acting beta2-adrenergic receptor agonists alone and in combination with glucocorticoids when used for local fat reduction," said George W. Mahaffey, President and CEO of Lithera. "Specific protection for LIPO-202 is important to us as we will be evaluating various doses of salmeterol as monotherapy in the upcoming Phase 2 RESET Trial."
About Lithera
Lithera is a clinical stage company developing pharmaceutical and biomedical products addressing both lifestyle and medical indications in aesthetic medicine and ophthalmology. Using FDA-registered drugs approved for use in other indications, Lithera's products target and stimulate natural fat tissue metabolism to achieve non-ablative, non-surgical fat tissue reduction in specific locations. Our lead product candidate, LIPO-202 (Salmeterol Xinafoate for Injection), is a novel injectable pharmaceutical product designed to produce local, selective fat tissue reduction (pharmaceutical lipoplasty). LIPO-202 is currently under development for the aesthetic reduction of subcutaneous fat in the periumbilical area. LIPO-102 (Salmeterol Xinafoate and Fluticasone Propionate for Injection) is currently under development for the treatment of symptomatic exophthalmos (protrusion of the eye from the orbit) associated with thyroid-related eye disease (the thyroid condition is also known as Graves' Disease). Founded in 2007, the Company has assembled an exceptional team of senior executives, employees and advisors and has been financed by top-tier venture capital firms. For more information on Lithera, Inc., please visit www.lithera.com.
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