Recce Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX:RCE, OTC:RECEF) has strengthened its intellectual property position in Southeast Asia after securing a Vietnamese patent covering its RECCE® 327 and RECCE® 529 anti-infective candidates.
The Family 4 patent, granted by the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam, provides protection until 2041 and marks the eighth patent secured by Recce within this patent family.
The patent protects the preparation process for Recce’s synthetic anti-infectives and the use of R327 and R529 to treat bacterial, viral and other infectious diseases.
Its claims cover potential applications in acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections, diabetic foot infections, burn wounds, lung infections, urinary tract infections, gonorrhoea, influenza and SARS-CoV-2.
Protection also extends across several delivery methods, including oral, inhaled, transdermal and injectable administration, as well as aerosols, gels, topical foams, ointments and medicated dressings.
The Vietnamese approval adds to Family 4 patents already granted in Australia, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan and Brazil, while further international applications remain under review.
Expanding presence in a key regional market
Vietnam represents a strategically important market due to the expansion of RCE's pharmaceutical sector and the country’s significant antimicrobial resistance burden.
The company cited high levels of resistance to commonly used antibiotics, reinforcing the need for new therapies capable of targeting multidrug-resistant pathogens.
Chief executive officer James Graham said: “We welcome the grant of this patent by the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam, which further strengthens Recce’s global intellectual property portfolio and expands our intellectual property footprint across Southeast Asia.
“This represents another important milestone in safeguarding our platform technology across strategically important markets in the region. As antibiotic resistance continues to pose a significant global health challenge, expanding our patent coverage supports our strategy to advance and commercialise our novel anti-infective platform worldwide.”
$4 million raised
Recce recently secured A$4 million through a share placement to advance commercial licensing initiatives, clinical trials and regulatory-enabling activities across its synthetic anti-infective pipeline.
The company will issue 10 million new fully paid ordinary shares at A$0.40 each, with the placement supported by new and existing institutional, sophisticated and professional investors.
Recce will also offer eligible shareholders the opportunity to participate through a share purchase plan, allowing subscriptions of up to A$30,000 per shareholder on the same terms as the placement.
The SPP is targeting a further A$4 million before costs, potentially lifting the total capital raised to A$8 million.
The company put more money in the bank after it received a A$3.67 million income tax refund from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).