Summit Therapeutics (LON:SUMM) has been awarded a European patent for ridinilazole, its new antibiotic for C.Difficile infection.
The patent means the new treatment is now protected in most of the world’s major markets including 30 countries across Europe. Patents have already been granted for the US, Japan and China.
A phase II proof of concept trial last year indicated that ridinilazole was statistically superior to vancomycin, the current standard of care for C.Difficile (CDI).
Glyn Edwards, Summit’s chief executive, added that the robust patent portfolio, together with the strong Phase 2 clinical data against vancomycin, strengthened the potential commercial value of the treatment.
CDI affects between 450,000 and 700,000 patients each year in hospitals, care homes and elsewhere in the US alone.
Ridinilazole is an orally administered small molecule antibiotic that has been designed specifically to treat the infection.
The patent gives a period of exclusivity in Europe until December 2029, with the possibility of an extension until June 2035.
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