Graft Polymer (UK) PLC (LSE:GPL) has flagged an announcement by its partner Awakn Life Sciences that discusses efforts being made to protect intellectual property supporting the latter's aminoindane new chemical entity (NCE) series.
Aminoindane NCEs are small compounds that help release brain chemicals like serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline while preventing their absorption back into the brain.
Awakn's programme will target mental health disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), affecting around 13 million adults in the US.
In May 2021, Awakn filed provisional patent applications for the Aminoindane NCEs, their pharmaceutical compositions, and treatment methods for substance use and mental health disorders.
The US patent application is under examination, with fast-tracking from the International Searching Authority indicating a promising path to approval.
In Europe, substantive examination of the pending patent application will begin soon. A Canadian patent application is also pending, with strong prospects for approval.
Professor David Nutt, Awakn's chief scientific Officer, said: "The advancements in Awakn's patent portfolio point towards the potential of our innovative Aminoindane NCEs.
"We are committed to progressing these compounds through the development pipeline, funded by Graft Polymer, to address the substantial unmet needs in mental health and addiction treatment."
Awakn's patent applications have shown significant progress to date, Graft told UK investors.
Following the provisional applications in May 2021, a Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) application was filed in May 2022.
An EPO examiner confirmed the pharmaceutical composition and method of use claims to be both novel and inventive.
The PCT application was published in November 2022. In November 2023, Awakn's PCT application entered the national phase in the US and Canada, and in December, it entered the European regional phase.
In April this year, the US patent application was accepted onto the PPH, indicating a likely patent grant.
Last week Graft announced it had inked a commercial collaboration with Awakn with the plan being to leverage Graft's expertise in drug delivery systems.
Specifically, Graft will invest £300,000, which Awakn will use for pre-clinical actions to enhance the bioavailability and pharmacokinetics of the aminoindane NCEs.
In return, Graft will receive 40% of any future net income from Awakn's drug programme,