Furiex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: FURX) announced today that the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued a patent on May 18, 2010, for the method for treatment of premature ejaculation using dapoxetine. Furiex developed dapoxetine in collaboration with Alza Corporation and its affiliates. U.S. Patent No. 7,718,705 includes claims directed to dosing dapoxetine on an as-needed basis, capturing the advantage dapoxetine has over other compounds in the same class, which require a pre-loading period for efficacy. The patent will expire in 2022. Furiex has received grants of similar patent claims in over 45 countries around the world including major and emerging markets.
“The method claims of this patent are valuable because, unlike other SSRIs, dapoxetine's effects on premature ejaculation are evident with one dose, allowing dapoxetine to be dosed on an 'as needed' basis”
Alza's affiliate, Janssen-Cilag, currently markets dapoxetine under the trademark, PRILIGYTM, in a number of markets outside the United States. PRILIGYTM has been launched in seven countries in the EU including Sweden, Austria, Finland, Germany, Spain, Italy and Portugal, as well as Mexico, South Korea and New Zealand.
"The method claims of this patent are valuable because, unlike other SSRIs, dapoxetine's effects on premature ejaculation are evident with one dose, allowing dapoxetine to be dosed on an 'as needed' basis," said June Almenoff, M.D., Ph.D., president and chief medical officer of Furiex. "Issuance of the 7,718,705 patent extends patent protection for the treatment of premature ejaculation using dapoxetine for 12 years."
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