Follica Announces Allowance for US Patent Related to Platform for Hair Loss

Follica Inc. recently received confirmation of an issue notification from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) regarding the company’s principal technology platform. The allowed claims in the patent cover varying methods of disruption of the epidermis, followed by modulation through application of a number of different compounds.

“This patent allowance represents another significant milestone toward commercialization for Follica as we advance development of our novel platform and product candidates,” said David Tharp, Follica’s Vice President of Corporate Development.

Follica is developing an out-patient therapy coupled with an at-home system for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia (hair loss) and has assembled a team of leading experts in the dermatology and medical device development fields to develop and commercialize its product platform. Follica has three main families of patents pertaining to its principal technology areas, with patents issued in certain geographies as well as applications pending worldwide.

Androgenetic alopecia represents the most common form of hair loss in men and women with an estimated 65 million patients who warrant treatment in the US alone, while the International Society of Hair Restoration (ISHR) estimates the total market size for hair restoration procedures approached $2 billion worldwide in 2012.

The Follica product concept originated from research in the laboratory of Dr. George Cotsarelis, Chair of the Dermatology Department at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, which demonstrated that, after skin disruption and in conjunction with manipulation of certain pathways, new hair follicles and hair can form in adult skin. Follica’s core technology and patent suite has been developed in collaboration with leading researchers, building on the work of Dr. Cotsarelis. Other key scientific advisors to the company include Dr. Richard Rox Anderson, Chairman of the Wellman Center for Photomedicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Dr. Ken Washenik, Medical Director of Bosley and the Executive Vice President of Scientific and Medical Development of the Aderans Research Institute, and Dr. Sarah Millar, a Professor of Dermatology and Cell & Developmental Biology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

Follica is a privately held therapeutics company co-founded by PureTech Health (PureTech Health plc, PRTC.L) and a group of world-renowned experts in hair follicle biology and regenerative medicine. For more information, visit www.follicabio.com.

PureTech (PureTech Health plc, PRTC.L) is a science-driven healthcare company, seeking to solve some of today’s toughest health challenges through disruptive approaches. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, PureTech has a pipeline of 12 operating companies, seven of which are “growth stage” with external validation including strategic partnerships, outside funding, proof-of-concept or peer review in prestigious scientific journals. PureTech is problem-focused and solution-agnostic, looking beyond traditional disciplines and approaching healthcare problems from different perspectives. Focusing on areas of significant unmet medical need, PureTech evaluates more than 650 ideas per year, prioritizing, selecting and testing what it believes to be the most scientifically and commercially promising concepts to advance. PureTech’s leading team and board, along with an advisory network of more than 50 experts across multiple disciplines, gives PureTech access to potentially groundbreaking science and technological innovations. For more information, visit www.puretechhealth.com. and connect with us on Twitter.