Cyanotech To Receive Patent for Astaxanthin and SunProtection

Cyanotech To Receive Patent for Astaxanthin and SunProtection

KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii--Cyanotech Corp. received a notice ofallowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (www.uspto.gov)stating that it would issue a patent soon to Cyanotech covering the use ofnatural and synthetic astaxanthin, in both oral and topical applications, as asingle active ingredient to retard and prevent sunburn.

Cyanotech filed the sunburn patent in April 2000 after a preliminary study bythe company indicated that 2 to 4 mg/d of natural astaxanthin taken orally for10 to 14 days prior to sun exposure reduced the incidence and degree of sunburn.

"Products acting to retard or prevent sunburn comprise a marketestimated at more than $500 million annually," said Gerald Cysewski, Ph.D.,chief executive officer of Cyanotech (www.cyanotech.com)."The potential of BioAstin [one of the company's natural astaxanthinproducts] in both topical and oral sunscreen applications may prove to besignificant. Three European companies are now selling or developing oral ortopical sunscreen products using BioAstin."

This is the company's third patent. The two earlier patents covered the useof astaxanthin to treat fever blisters and canker sores (#6,344,214), and forretarding and ameliorating carpal tunnel syndrome (#6,258,855).