Algernon Pharmaceuticals Inc. (CSE:AGN, OTCQB:AGNPF) said it has received a Notice of Allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for a patent application for its lead chronic kidney disease (CKD) program drug NP-251 (Repirinast).
The company said it has also filed corresponding patent applications in Canada, Europe, China and Japan. The US patent, number 17/258,402, is entitled ‘Compositions and Methods for Treating Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis’.
“This is the first allowance notice received from the USPTO by Algernon for one of the drugs being investigated under our innovative drug repurposing program and is further validation of our intellectual property strategy,” said Christopher J. Moreau, CEO of Algernon Pharmaceuticals in a statement.
The invention claims to treat non-alcohol fatty liver disease (NAFLD), including non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and NASH-derived hepatocellular carcinoma, with Repirinast.
Algernon’s intellectual property strategy for its repurposed drug program includes protecting its compounds by filing patent applications including method of use, dosing, and formulations, and for new composition of matter patents based on novel salt forms.
Repirinast was originally developed by Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma and was sold and marketed in Japan under the brand name Romet for the treatment of Asthma. Romet was marketed for over 25 years in Japan. Mitsubishi discontinued manufacturing and sales of the drug in 2013. Accordingly, Algernon has retained Zhejiang Ausun Pharmaceutical in Zhejiang, China to manufacture a cGMP Repirinast supply.
Algernon Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage drug development and repurposing company investigating multiple drugs for unmet global medical needs.It has active research programs for IPF with chronic cough, and chronic kidney disease, and is the parent company of a newly created private subsidiary called Algernon NeuroScience which is advancing a psychedelic program investigating a proprietary form of psychedelic DMT for stroke and traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Contact the author at jon.hopkins@proactiveinvestors.com