NEUROKIN strengthens its intellectual property with the grant of European patent drug candidate NK-102

08-Oct-2010 - France

NEUROKIN announced that the European Patent Office (EPO) has granted patent EP 1998778 protecting the use of NK-102, its most advanced drug candidate. This first European award constitutes an important milestone for NEUROKIN. An application for registration is under way in Brazil, Canada, China, USA and Japan.

This patent, already granted in France in June 2008, focuses on NK-102, a drug candidate developed for the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) diseases and particularly for acute neurological diseases such as stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) or some forms of epilepsy. These diseases have very serious effects by destroying permanently the brain cells within a few days.

The proof of concept of NK molecules has been demonstrated in several in vivo models. Thus, in rats, NK-102 is able to decrease the total volume of infarction of 30% and the volume of cortical infarction of 50% at least two hours after the begining of ischemia. NK molecules are able to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB), a natural defense system of the brain that allows only about 2% of small drugs to cross from blood vessels to the nervous tissues.

Jérôme Becquart, CEO of NEUROKIN declared: "This patent grant represents a keystone element of NEUROKIN’s intellectual property and a recognition of the innovative nature of our approach already scientifically recognized with a publication in the PLoS One Revue. Our NK-102 candidate has great innovative potential in the treatment of the most serious central nervous system diseases and particularly stroke. In order to improve the preclinical regulatory and clinical development of its lead projects in stroke, epilepsy and TBI, Neurokin is currently seeking new investors."

https://www.bionity.com/en/news/123866/neurokin-strengthens-its-intellectual-property-with-the-grant-of-european-patent-drug-candidate-nk-102.html