Poolbeg Pharma PLC (AIM:POLB) said it has made new UK patent filings for its PredictViral diagnostic platform.
The latest applications aim to protect the method of predicting whether an individual has been exposed to a respiratory virus, the severity of the disease and whether the person is likely to be contagious.
“The company will continue to focus on expanding its IP portfolio as required,” investors were told.
PredictViral is being developed to be used to detect respiratory viruses such as influenza, respiratory syncytial virus and human rhinoviruses that cause over half of all common colds.
In the meantime, the company will continue to commercialise the product, which has been designed to provide medical staff with a risk score for recently infected patients who are likely to experience a severe form of the disease.
Chief executive Jeremy Skillington said: "Protecting the IP for such an innovative disease severity platform as PredictViral is important and key to our strategy of commercialising this cutting-edge technology.
“PredictViral will provide valuable information for assessing the best course of treatment for viral disease.
“It has the potential to help early interventions when needed and to reduce the spread of disease, even amongst those who are unaware they are infected - the importance of which has become very clear during the COVID-19 global pandemic."