Peptimmune, Inc. a privately held biotechnology company, announced today the grant of US Patent Number 7,655,221 (the '221 patent) which protects the target product profile for its PI-2301 peptide copolymer for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, and other autoimmune diseases.
The '221 patent claims important treatment modalities for PI-2301 and related compounds. "The '221 patent enhances the exclusivity for what we believe may become a very important therapy for the treatment of multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases," stated Thomas P. Mathers, President & CEO of Peptimmune.
Peptimmune recently completed a Phase Ib multiple-ascending dose, double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized study in subjects with SP-MS. The Company plans to continue developing PI-2301 by initiating a Phase II study in multiple sclerosis patients later this year.
PI-2301 is a second-generation peptide copolymer from a similar compound class as Copaxone® (Teva Pharmaceuticals). PI-2301 works through immune modulation by enhancing the regulatory response of the immune system and thereby controlling the pathogenic autoimmune response observed in some diseases.
PI-2301 has been optimized using Peptimmune's novel platform peptide chemistry. In preclinical studies, PI-2301 has shown to be more potent and effective than Copaxone in treating disease models for multiple sclerosis. PI-2301 has also shown efficacy in preclinical models of autoimmune diseases where immune modulation may be effective, such as Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and autoimmune uveitis. Peptimmune has put in place high-quality synthesis and analytical methods that provide a superior level of batch-to-batch reproducibility in the manufacturing of PI-2301.