Poolbeg Pharma PLC (AIM:POLB), the clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, has been granted a European patent for its POLB 001 treatment in cancer immunotherapy-induced cytokine release syndrome (CRS).
The decision comes from the European Patent Office and covers protection across EPO member states.
It is the most commercially significant approval to date within Poolbeg's CRS patent family, following earlier grants in Australia in March and Canada in May 2026.
The patent protects the use of p38 MAPK inhibitors, a class of anti-inflammatory compounds that includes POLB 001, for preventing CRS triggered by cancer immunotherapies.
CRS is a potentially dangerous immune reaction that can occur when patients receive certain immunotherapy treatments.
Poolbeg says the protection strengthens its intellectual property position as POLB 001 advances through clinical trials.
The company's TOPICAL trial, examining POLB 001 as a preventative treatment for CRS in relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma patients, is on track to deliver interim data later this summer.
Patients in the trial receive teclistamab, an approved bispecific antibody supplied by Johnson and Johnson at no cost to Poolbeg.
Poolbeg said the European patent enhances POLB 001's attractiveness to potential partners at a critical stage in its development.
The company plans to provide further updates on extending patent coverage to other jurisdictions in due course.
Jeremy Skillington, chief executive of Poolbeg, said the European grant strengthened the company's intellectual property protection for POLB 001 in cancer immunotherapy-induced CRS.
He said Europe represented one of the most strategically important pharmaceutical markets and that the grant increased the commercial value of POLB 001 to potential partners.
Skillington added that he was encouraged by the combination of the strengthened patent portfolio and the upcoming interim trial data.
