Palatin Technologies issued U.S. patent covering its lead heart failure drug candidate

Palatin Technologies, Inc. (NYSE Amex: PTN) today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued U.S. Patent No. 7,622,440, titled "Cyclic Natriuretic Peptide Constructs." The claims in the issued patent cover a family of cyclic compounds that bind to natriuretic peptide receptor A (NPRA), including PL-3994, Palatin's lead heart failure drug candidate.

"Our natriuretic compounds, including PL-3994, address significant unmet medical needs," said Trevor Hallam, Ph.D., Palatin's Executive Vice President - Research and Development. "These are the only reported compounds that bind to NPRA and have extended half-lives and pharmacokinetic properties making daily subcutaneous administration possible. Besides the potential to decrease re-hospitalization rates in patients with heart failure, PL-3994 may also have application in treating resistant hypertension and pulmonary arterial hypertension."

PL-3994 and the related family of cyclic compounds were discovered and developed by Palatin scientists and are solely owned by Palatin. In addition to this issued U.S. patent, Palatin has applications pending in selected countries outside the United States and additional U.S. applications covering related compounds.