Cancer drug discovery firm Sareum Holdings Plc (LON:SAR) has secured patents in Japan and China for its TYK2 kinase inhibitor programme.
The Japanese Patent Office has formally granted the patent, while the Chinese authorities have agreed to issue one subject to “certain formalities being completed”.
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The patents protect Sareum’s intellectual property for its TYK2 inhibitor programme and the compounds’ use in diseases such as multiple sclerosis, psoriasis and inflammatory bowel disease.
Similar patent protection in Europe was announced back in 2014 and the company expects other major markets, including the US, to follow suit “in due course”.
“The granting of this patent in Japan and China is a key step in securing the protection of the intellectual property for our TYK2 programme in all major markets and it enhances the value of this programme as we progress discussions with potential licensing partners,” said chief scientific officer John Reader.
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