Faron Pharmaceuticals Limited (AIM:FARN) has secured a fresh US patent covering its experimental cancer drug bexmarilimab, giving the Finnish biotech group an extra three years of protection for its core technology in the world’s biggest market.
The new patent, granted by the US Patent and Trademark Office, protects the use of bexmarilimab—and similar compounds—for treating cancers that feature Clever-1 positive cells.
Clever-1 is a protein found on certain immune cells within tumours, and blocking it is designed to help the body’s own defences recognise and attack cancer.
The new US patent extends the company’s rights around bexmarilimab’s use in cancer treatment to 2040, compared with the previous expiry in 2037.
Bexmarilimab is Faron’s lead drug in clinical trials, and the company hopes it will eventually be used to treat diseases such as acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), both of which involve Clever-1 positive cells.
Chief executive Juho Jalkanen said the patent extension strengthens the company’s position, noting that the “patent family around targeting Clever-1 in cancer is strong”.
The patent covers both the structure of the drug and its use in tackling tumours that display the Clever-1 marker. Faron’s previous composition-of-matter patent, which focused mainly on the drug’s structure, was granted four years ago.
With the new patent in place, Faron expects bexmarilimab to benefit from extended market exclusivity, assuming the drug is approved for use.