CLEVELAND - (Business Wire) Ganeden Biotech, the largest seller of over-the-counter probiotic bacteria in the United States, today announced it will make available for license its patent related to the use of its probiotics to control bacterial infections associated with infant mortality, specifically, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Ganeden Biotech was awarded U.S. Patent number 7,374,753 by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on May 20, 2008, for a group of probiotic bacteria shown to inhibit growth of the bacterial strains associated with SIDS.
Research Links Infant Mortality with Bacterial Infections
“Our patent addresses the bacteriological association with infant mortality and suggests that by controlling digestive pathogens, including Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, a significant percentage of infant mortalities may be avoidable,” said Sean Farmer, chief scientific officer for Ganeden Biotech.
A recent article in the British medical journal The Lancet reported that significantly more cultures from infants whose deaths were unexplained, as in a typical SIDS case, contained S. aureus or E. coli pathogenic bacteria than did those from infants whose deaths were of non-infective cause. S. aureus or E. coli are among the pathogens addressed in the Ganeden patent.
Some medical researchers believe SIDS results from events in which pathogenic bacteria enter the gut, colonize, and produce cytotoxin, initiating a cascade of reactions leading to sudden death. The cytotoxin may damage intestinal tissue. Studies show an association between intestinal injury and the development of a septic state and distant organ failure, particularly of the cardio-respiratory system.
Probiotic Bacteria May Prevent or Control GI Bacterial Infections
Probiotic bacteria, particularly the Bacillus species, can be used in therapeutic compositions for preventing or controlling gastro-intestinal bacterial infections. As discussed in the patent, Ganeden’s probiotic bacteria can be formulated into a variety of delivery mechanisms including infant formulas and rehydration/electrolyte compositions, because the bacterium is presented as a viable, shelf-stable organism, either as a vegetative cell or as a spore.
“Infant mortality in Third World nations can be 20 to 30 times more prevalent than in developed nations because poor access to sanitary drinking water leads to gastric bacterial infections,” said Mr. Farmer. “There’s a significant need for preventive therapeutic agents to control the growth of gastric pathogens without using antibiotics, which can harm the beneficial microflora of the infant’s gut or contribute to development of microbial drug resistance.”
Ganeden Biotech plans to support additional research on probiotics in order to help identify practical applications for the newly patented probiotic bacteria.
About Ganeden Biotech
Founded in 1997, Ganeden Biotech Inc. is based in Cleveland, Ohio, and licenses it patented probiotic bacteria, Ganeden BC30, for use in commercial food and beverage applications as well as in medical foods and over-the-counter dietary supplements. GanedenBC30 was found to be Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) by a panel assembled to assess its safety in use as a food ingredient.
Linhart Public Relations
Dawn Doty, 303-951-2552
ddoty@linhartpr.com
