LONDON (Alliance News) - Bio-pharmaceutical company Summit Therapeutics PLC Tuesday said it has been granted a "key" patent for its treatment of duchenne muscular dystrophy.
The patent was awarded by the European Patent Office and covers the small molecule utrophin modulator SMT C1100 and its use in the treatment of the fatal muscle wasting disease, duchenne muscular dystrophy. The patent did not receive any opposition.
Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a progressive muscle wasting disease that affects around 50,000 boys in the developed world. The disease is caused by different genetic faults in the gene that encodes dystrophin, a protein that is essential for the healthy function of all muscles. There is currently no cure.
SMT C1100 is the company's most advanced utrophin modulator and forms part of the company's wider pipeline of utrophin based therapies that are in development.
"This is a cornerstone patent for SMT C1100, and its grant and emergence from the opposition period in a major commercial market, represents a crucial part in our strategy for advancing this promising utrophin modulator therapy for duchenne muscular dystrophy," said Glyn Edwards, chief executive of Summit.
The European patent joins the company's other patents for the treatment in Japan and the US. The European patent provides the company exclusivity to the treatment until 2027, which could be extended if the company can obtain a supplementary protection certificate on marketing approval, it said.
SMT C1100 is currently in a Phase 1b clinical trial in patients with duchenne muscular dystrophy, with results expected to be reported during the third quarter of 2015.
Summit shares were down 1.5% to 133.0 pence per share on Tuesday afternoon.
By Joshua Warner; joshuawarner@alliancenews.com; @JoshAlliance
Copyright 2015 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
