Medgenics Key Patent Claims Allowed in Japan Protecting Core Technology to be Used in Hepatitis Treatment

MISGAV, Israel & SAN FRANCISCO - (BUSINESS WIRE) - Medgenics, Inc. (NYSE MKT: MDGN and AIM: MEDU, MEDG) (the "Company" ), the developer of a novel technology for the sustained production and delivery of therapeutic proteins in patients using their own tissue, today announced it has received a Notice of Allowance from the Japanese Patent and Trademark Office for key claims protecting the use of Medgenics' INFRADURE Biopump technology for the delivery of interferon alpha (IFNa). Medgenics is developing INFRADURE as a new approach to provide sustained and patient compliant interferon therapy to address unmet needs in the treatment of hepatitis B, C, and D.

Similar claims protecting Medgenics' INFRADURE technology have been granted or allowed in other large Asian markets including, China, Korea and Australia. In addition, these countries have allowed broad claims to Medgenics protecting the core Biopump technology for production and delivery of proteins.

Patents covering core Biopump technology for a genetically modified dermal micro-organ have already been granted to Medgenics in the U.S. and in the EU.