USPTO grants key patent for Quark Pharmaceuticals' QPI-1007 ocular neuroprotectant

Quark Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Quark") today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office ("USPTO") has granted a key patent covering the treatment of patients suffering from non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy ("NAION") with the Company's ocular neuroprotectant QPI-1007. The patent will expire in 2033 with potential for term extension.

QPI-1007 received Orphan Drug status from the FDA for this indication and it is currently being evaluated in a global Phase II/III study, QRK207, to determine the effect of QPI-1007 on visual function in subjects with acute NAION. The QRK207 study is already enrolling in several countries, including the US and India with additional sites in Israel, Germany, Australia, Italy, and China opening soon. The clinical study is run by Quark in collaboration with Quark's partners Biocon Ltd in India and the Chinese joint venture company of Quark in China, Kunshan RiboQuark Pharmaceutical Technology Co., Ltd.

"NAION is a serious condition, typically causing sudden vision loss without pain, the lack of treatment for this condition is a globally unmet medical need," said Dr. Daniel Zurr, CEO of Quark. "Our drug, QPI-1007, has been shown in preclinical studies to be a neuroprotectant with a novel mechanism of action to block apoptotic cell death. We plan to expand the QPI-1007 program to additional ocular neuropathies that share the hallmark trait of retinal ganglion cell death, such as glaucoma."