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aTyr Pharma Gains E.U. Patent Covering Use of Efzofitimod with Pirfenidone for Lung Inflammation or Fibrosis
Patent highlights potential benefit of efzofitimod as a combination therapy for IPF standard of care. SAN DIEGO, Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- aTyr
About this update from Atyr Pharma, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"Patent highlights potential benefit of efzofitimod as a combination therapy for IPF standard of care.\nSAN DIEGO, Jan. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- aTyr Pharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: LIFE), a biotherapeutics company engaged in the discovery and development of first-in-class medicines from its proprietary tRNA synthetase platform, today announced that the European Patent Office (EPO) has provided a Notice of Allowance for a patent covering methods for the use of histidyl-tRNA synthetase (HARS) Fc fusion proteins for reducing inflammation or fibrosis in the lung. The patent application No. 18 787408.6, titled, “Compositions and methods for treating lung inflammation,” covers the use of the company’s lead therapeutic candidate, efzofitimod, in combination with the anti-fibrotic agent pirfenidone. Efzofitimod is a Fc fusion protein based on the N terminal fragment of HARS that is currently in clinical development for the treatment of pulmonary sarcoidosis, the most prevalent interstitial lung disease (ILD), and has the potential to treat other forms of ILD. “We are pleased with the EPO Notice of Allowance for this patent covering compositions and methods comprising the use of efzofitimod in combination with pirfenidone, an anti-fibrotic agent currently approved for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), the most fibrotic form of ILD, and being investigated in other forms of progressive fibrosing lung diseases,” said Sanjay S. Shukla, M.D., M.S., President and Chief Executive Officer of aTyr. “This patent builds on the preclinical data demonstrating efzofitimod’s potential ability to improve inflammation and fibrosis in models of IPF and other ILD.” A Notice of Allowance is issued after the EPO makes the determination that a patent should be granted from an application. A patent from the recently allowed application is expected to be issued in the coming months. aTyr’s global patent estate includes over 220 issued or allowed patents as of December 31, 2022, owned or exclusively licensed by aTyr and its Hong Kong subsidiary, Pangu BioPharma Limited, developed over a decade of research and development activities. This patent estate highlights aTyr’s leadership position in this emerging area of biology. These patents encompass important new therapeutic modalities which underpin the broad pipeline of novel therapeutics in active d...