Sabinsa Corporation has received yet another affirmation of the strength of its intellectual property rights with a recent decision by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (U.S. PTO) upholding U.S. Patent No. 5,972,382 (the ‘382 patent), one of the company’s patents on uses of piperine extract, which was developed by sister company Sami Labs Limited and is sold by Sabinsa as the proprietary branded ingredient, BioPerine^®.

BioPerine^®, a 98% pure piperine extract, has been the subject of numerous scientific studies, and its composition, manufacture and use are covered by several U.S. and foreign patents. BioPerine^® enhances the body’s natural thermogenic activity, which plays an integral role in utilizing the daily food and nutrients that the human body consumes. The decision on reexamination confirmed the patentability of piperine for increasing nutrient-induced thermogenesis and other nutritional uses claimed in the ‘382 patent.

Sabinsa submitted the ‘382 patent for reexamination by the U.S. PTO in 2004, aware that having the patent upheld would further discourage infringement of its intellectual property. The final U.S. PTO decision was welcomed by Sabinsa’s founder Dr. Muhammed Majeed, whose research with his scientific team formed the basis upon which the patent was founded. "We are pleased that the U.S. PTO has recognized Sabinsa’s pioneering work in the development of piperine for use in the nutritional supplement industry," Dr. Majeed noted. "Sabinsa continues to invest in research of BioPerine^® with the knowledge that its intellectual property rights in the product are strong, and we will continue to enforce our rights against those who violate the law by infringing our patents."