Moleculera receives patent for diagnostic process

Copyright © 2017, The Oklahoma Publishing Co.

Oklahoma City’s Moleculera Labs Inc., an autoimmune neurobiology company, said Monday that a key patent has been issued covering the company’s method of identifying whether someone’s neurologic or psychiatric symptoms could be caused by an autoimmune dysfunction.

The patent covers Moleculera’s methods of diagnosing pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS) and pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder associated with Streptococci infection (PANDAS).

Research has found that obsessive compulsive disorder, tics, anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and sometimes behaviors associated with Autism Spectrum Disorders, may be caused by a treatable autoimmune condition, triggered by common infections.

“This patent provides strong intellectual property coverage for our panel, which is an aid to physicians in diagnosing infection-triggered autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders, and has steadily gained usage by a growing number of clinicians around the world,” said Craig Shimasaki, Ph.D., president and CEO of Moleculera Labs. “PANS/ PANDAS has proven to be a treatable condition when properly identified, with symptoms often resolving with appropriate therapy — thus sparing affected individuals from being misdiagnosed and treated solely with psychotropic drugs to manage their symptoms.