Oxurion NV, a Belgium-based biopharmaceutical company focusing on developing an advanced treatment to preserve the vision of patients suffering from diabetic macular edema (DME), announced that it is strengthening its intellectual property (IP) portfolio leading THR-687, an integrin antagonist which is developed for DME treatment.

The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the European Patent Office (EPO) have issued new composition-of-matter patents that cover THR-687. Patents US10703752 and EP3613739 were issued in July 2020 and November 2020 respectively and expire in 2039, with possible extension till 2044.

THR-687 is generated to treat DME having a possibility to become the degree of care for patients suffering from DME and is known as a possible top-notch small molecule pan-RGD integrin antagonist

The Phase 1 test data represented that it is safe and well-tolerated with no adverse events and none of the dose-limiting toxicities recorded at any doses assessed in the research. Initial signs of effectiveness were also detected across all doses, with a fast start of action in mean Best Corrected Visual Acuity (BCVA) from the first day. After one injection of THR-687’s highest dose, this activity was upheld at Month 3 with a mean BCVA enhancement of 12.5 letters

The pre-clinical data from Oxurion represented that THR-687 is likely to be developed for more significant indications which include Retinal Vein Occlusion (RVO) and wet Age-related Macular Degeneration (wAMD).

Oxurion’s CEO, M.D., Patrik De Haes, expressed his delight about using the company’s in-house expertise for chemically optimizing THR-687. He confirmed that the company has developed an enhanced molecule for clinical development and expand its composition-of-matter patent coverage. The new patents will ensure exclusivity until at least 2039 is the key European and US markets for THR-687. These patents are a crucial element in securing the possibly noteworthy commercial opportunity for THR-687, given the chief aim to make it standard of care for all patients with DME.

Source: https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/11/09/2122375/0/en/OXURION-NV-Confirms-New-Patents-for-THR-687-Issued-by-European-and-US-Patent-Offices.html