Published on January 18, 2012 at 9:44 AM
Ampio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMPE) ("Ampio" or the "Company"), a company that discovers and develops new uses for previously approved drugs and new molecular entities ("NMEs"), today announced notification by the European Patent Office they will be awarded two new patents in Europe for the combination of Zertane™ (Ampio's premature ejaculation (PE) drug) with any erectile dysfunction (ED) drug of the PDE5 inhibitors family such as sildenafil, tadalafil and the likes and for a combination of Zertane™ with compounds that reduce the side effects of tramadol (the active ingredient of Zertane™).
Dr. David Bar-Or, Ampio's Chief Scientific Officer, noted, "These patents complement the already worldwide issued patents of the use of Zertane™ in any dose for the treatment of premature ejaculation in males and include composition of matter claims. The coexistence of ED and PE is a significant sexual problem, as up to 30% of males treated for ED also suffer from PE. The granting of these patents is an important milestone in the company's strategy to license and commercialize its sexual dysfunction drugs."
Business Strategy for Sexual Dysfunction Drugs:
Ampio CEO Michael Macaluso noted, "We believe there will be significant interest in a combination therapy that addresses both PE and ED, due to the fact there are no therapies available for the men who experience both. Pharmaceutical companies, currently providing PDE5 inhibitor drugs to treat only ED, and facing expiration of their patent protection, may find our combination drug to be an attractive means of significantly extending and upgrading their franchise in this large and rapidly growing clinical field. We will seek an appropriate partner to bring our product to market as expeditiously as possible."
SOURCE Ampio Pharmaceuticals, Inc.