Cambridge, UK; 25th January 2022. For Immediate Release
Atlantic Healthcare plc (Atlantic Healthcare or Company), the specialist gastrointestinal (GI) pharmaceutical company focused on acquiring, developing and commercializing therapies that address unmet patient needs and rare diseases, today announces that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted U.S. Patent No. 11220690 for alicaforsen.
The patent, a composition of matter patent, relates to a new formulation of alicaforsen for which the Company is targeting the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The patent has a 2038 expiry date. The U.S. is the largest market for IBD with an estimated market size of $14bn in 2022 and thus this is a key step forwards for the Company.
In addition to interacting with ICAM-1 research at Atlantic Healthcare has also provided evidence that alicaforsen can interact with TLR7 and TLR9 to reduce inflammation.
Toby Wilson Waterworth, CEO at Atlantic Healthcare said, “this represents an important endorsement of the Company’s strategy and expertise whereby it seeks to acquire late-stage assets, revisit the data and look for opportunities to reposition products and strengthen the intellectual property estate, in this case with the new patent for its lead asset, alicaforsen.”
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About Atlantic Healthcare
Atlantic Healthcare plc (https://www.atlantichc.com) is a specialist pharmaceutical company focused on acquiring, developing and commercializing therapeutics that address unmet patient needs and rare diseases, specializing in gastroenterology.
The Company owns the exclusive worldwide rights to alicaforsen, a novel antisense drug, in development for ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease. It also owns renzapride, a novel therapy, which has the potential to address the unmet needs of multiple patient groups suffering gastrointestinal motility disorders, including patients with Cystic Fibrosis, Systemic Scleroderma and Parkinson’s disease.
About Alicaforsen
Alicaforsen is being developed as a locally active, topical treatment with the potential to establish a new class of therapy, with clear differentiating features.
Alicaforsen enema has shown, in four Phase 2 clinical studies involving 357 patients with UC, to reduce inflammation and promote mucosal healing with good tolerability and a durable effect. Alicaforsen also has a good safety profile based on data from more than 1,000 patients (enema, parenteral, and IV delivery).
Alicaforsen is an antisense oligonucleotide, which has been designed to interact and down regulate mRNA for ICAM-1, a well-recognised cell-surface protein that is involved in the inflammatory response of both the adaptive and innate components of the immune system. It is over-expressed in patients with IBD. It has also now been shown to interact with Toll-like receptor (TLR) 7, which promotes inflammatory response, and TLR9, which regulates inflammatory response. The TLR family plays a fundamental role in pathogen recognition and activation of innate immunity.
Forward Looking Statements
While Atlantic Healthcare believes any forward-looking statements in this press release are accurate, the statements represent Atlantic Healthcare’s beliefs only as of the date of this press release. A number of factors could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those indicated by such statements. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. In addition, risks and results in clinical trials may not be indicative of risks or results from later stage or larger scale trials, and there is no assurance of regulatory approval. Existing and prospective investors should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in a press release and instead should make their own determinations as to the reliability of such statements. Atlantic Healthcare undertakes no intent or obligation to update the information contained in this press release as new information becomes available.