- Composition of Matter Patent with
Expiration Date in 2034 -
LAVAL, QC, April 24, 2017
/CNW/ - BELLUS Health (TSX:BLU) (BELLUS Health or the Company), a
biopharmaceutical development company advancing novel therapeutics
for conditions with high unmet medical need, today announced that
the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued U.S Patent. No.
9,598,409, which grants claims covering the composition of matter
of BELLUS' lead drug candidate, BLU-5937, and related
imidazopyridine compounds, in addition to pharmaceutical
compositions comprising BLU-5937 and uses thereof. The patent has
an expiration date of 2034, excluding any potential patent term
extension. Patent applications with similarly broad claims are
currently pending in Europe,
Japan, China and other industrialized nations.
"This U.S. patent affords broad and comprehensive composition of
matter protection for our lead drug candidate, BLU-5937, in the
most important pharmaceutical market in the world," said
Roberto Bellini, President and CEO
of BELLUS Health. "We expect the intellectual property estate for
BLU-5937 to continue expanding and provide robust worldwide patent
protection."
About BLU-5937
BLU-5937 is an orally administered small molecule being
developed for the treatment of chronic cough. BLU-5937 is a potent
and selective antagonist of P2X3 receptors located on airway
sensory neurons. In chronic cough, the P2X3 receptor is involved in
hypersensitization of these neurons, leading to an increased urge
to cough and a decreased threshold for cough reflex activation. The
P2X3 receptor is a clinically-validated target for the treatment of
chronic cough and the potent antitussive effect of BLU-5937 has
been demonstrated in preclinical cough models.
About Chronic Cough
Chronic cough is a cough that lasts for more than eight weeks
and is associated with significant adverse social, psychosocial and
physical effects on quality of life. It is estimated that, in
the United States alone, more than
27 million patients suffer from chronic cough. While an underlying
etiology such as gastro-oesophageal reflux, asthma, or allergic
rhinitis may contribute to cough in some of these patients, an
underlying condition cannot be identified in 10%-40% of chronic
cough patients (unexplained chronic cough). A portion of patients
with an underlying condition as well as the large majority of
unexplained chronic cough patients are not well controlled by
current therapies.
About BELLUS Health
BELLUS Health is a biopharmaceutical development company
advancing novel therapeutics for conditions with high unmet medical
need. Its pipeline of projects includes BLU-5937 for chronic cough
and several other partnered clinical-stage drug development
programs.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements contained in this news release, other than
statements of fact that are independently verifiable at the date
hereof, may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the
meaning of Canadian securities legislation and regulations. Such
statements, based as they are on the current expectations of
management, inherently involve numerous important risks,
uncertainties and assumptions, known and unknown, many of which are
beyond BELLUS Health Inc.'s control. Such risks factors include but
are not limited to: the ability to obtain financing, the impact of
general economic conditions, general conditions in the
pharmaceutical industry, changes in the regulatory environment in
the jurisdictions in which BELLUS Health Inc. does business, stock
market volatility, fluctuations in costs, changes to the
competitive environment due to consolidation, achievement of
forecasted burn rate, potential payments/outcomes in relation to
indemnity agreements and contingent value rights, achievement of
forecasted pre-clinical and clinical trial milestones and that
actual results may vary once the final and quality-controlled
verification of data and analyses has been completed. In addition,
the length of BELLUS Health Inc.'s drug candidates development
process, their market size and commercial value, as well as the
sharing of proceeds between BELLUS Health Inc. and its potential
partners from potential future revenues, if any, are dependent upon
a number of factors. Consequently, actual future results and events
may differ materially from the anticipated results and events
expressed in the forward-looking statements. The Company believes
that expectations represented by forward-looking statements are
reasonable, yet there can be no assurance that such expectations
will prove to be correct. The reader should not place undue
reliance, if any, on any forward-looking statements included in
this news release. These forward-looking statements speak only as
of the date made, and BELLUS Health Inc. is under no obligation and
disavows any intention to update publicly or revise such statements
as a result of any new information, future event, circumstances or
otherwise, unless required by applicable legislation or regulation.
Please see BELLUS Health Inc.'s public filings with the Canadian
securities regulatory authorities, including the Annual Information
Form, for further risk factors that might affect BELLUS Health Inc.
and its business.
SOURCE BELLUS Health Inc.