USPTO awards Transcept Pharmaceuticals patent covering Intermezzo's composition and usage method

Transcept Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: TSPT) today announced that the first patent covering the composition and method of use of Intermezzo® (zolpidem tartrate sublingual tablet), the lead Transcept product candidate, has been issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.  Transcept announced the issuance of a Notice of Allowance for claims under the application for this patent, U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 11/060,641, on December 14, 2009. The newly issued patent, U.S. Patent No. 7,658,945, titled "Compositions for Delivering Hypnotic Agents Across the Oral Mucosa and Methods of Use Thereof," will expire no earlier than February 2025.