European Patent Office grants patent EP1392642 for 4SC AG's lead auto-immune compound

4SC AG (Frankfurt, Prime Standard: VSC), a drug discovery and development company, today announced that the European Patent Office has granted patent EP1392642, which covers its lead auto-immune compound 4SC-101. This small molecule is a DHODH and IL-17 inhibitor which is currently in Phase II trials in rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease.

The patent, entitled “novel compounds as anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and anti-proliferatory agents” protects the manufacturing, composition of matter and use in diseases of a novel group of compounds which inhibit DHODH, including 4SC-101. 4SC has already obtained a patent for 4SC-101 from the United States Patent and Trademark office, which was issued in 2006. In addition, patents have been granted in Canada, Russia, New Zealand, South Africa and Mexico.

Ulrich Dauer, CEO of 4SC, commented: “We are pleased to have now received a European patent to cover the composition of matter of our lead auto-immune compound 4SC-101, in addition to the already granted US patent, securing us complete protection of exclusivity and freedom to operate. We look forward to an exciting year in 2010, as we are expecting clinical results for this small-molecule in an exploratory Phase IIa study in inflammatory bowel disease, as well as in a Phase IIb study in rheumatoid arthritis, firmly positioning us in the small-molecule space within these growing indications.”