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MediciNova Receives Notice of Allowance for New Patent Covering MN-001 and MN-002 for the Treatment of Advanced NASH in Korea
LA JOLLA, Calif., March 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MediciNova, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company traded on the NASDAQ Global Market (NASDAQ:MNOV) and the
About this update from Medicinova, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"LA JOLLA, Calif., March 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MediciNova, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company traded on the NASDAQ Global Market (NASDAQ:MNOV) and the JASDAQ Market of the Tokyo Stock Exchange (Code Number: 4875), today announced that it has received a Notice of Allowance from the Korean Intellectual Property Office which covers MN-001 (tipelukast) and MN-002 (a major metabolite of MN-001) for the treatment of advanced nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Once issued, the patent maturing from this allowed patent application is expected to expire no earlier than May 2035. The allowed claims cover MN-001 (tipelukast) and MN-002 for the treatment of a patient with advanced NASH wherein the treatment is for reducing hepatic fibrosis in a patient suffering from advanced NASH. The allowed claims also cover advanced NASH patients that exhibit spider angiomata, ascites, splenomegaly, hard liver border, palmar erythema, asterixis, portal hypertension, hepatic scarring, cirrhosis, or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In addition, the allowed claims cover MN-001 (tipelukast) and MN-002 for reducing hepatic scarring in a patient with advanced NASH. The allowed claims cover oral administration, including tablets and capsules, as well as liquid dosage forms. The allowed claims cover a wide range of doses of MN-001 (tipelukast) and MN-002 and a range of different dosing frequencies. Kazuko Matsuda, M.D. Ph.D, MPH., Chief Medical Officer, MediciNova, Inc., commented, “We are very pleased to receive notice that this new patent will be granted as we believe it could increase the potential value of MN-001. We previously reported positive results from a Phase 2 clinical trial of MN-001 that enrolled NASH and NAFLD patients with hypertriglyceridemia. The U.S. FDA has granted Fast Track designation for MN-001 for the treatment of NASH with fibrosis. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office previously granted a patent which covers MN-001 and MN-002 for advanced NASH with fibrosis and a similar patent was granted in Japan.” About MN-001 MN-001 (tipelukast) is a novel, orally bioavailable, small molecule compound thought to exert its effects through several mechanisms to produce its anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic activity in preclinical models, including leukotriene (LT) receptor antagonism, inhibition of phosphodiesterases (PDE) (mainly 3 and 4), a...