Sparks

SynAct Pharma has announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued a notice of allowance for a patent grant covering a method of treating rheumatoid arthritis with resomelagon in combination with methotrexate (MTX). Once granted, this will provide market exclusivity for the drug combination in the US until at least 2040, pending approval. This latest patent strengthens SynAct’s already strong intellectual property position for resomelagon, which was recently awarded another US patent covering the crystal form of the salt currently being used in clinical trials.

As a reminder, resomelagon (AP1189) is a once-daily oral biased melanocortin receptor type 1 and 3 (MC1r and MC3r) agonist, being evaluated in three separate Phase II clinical programmes. These include its use as an add-on to MTX for the treatment of RA, for which a Phase IIb is underway. The other two trials are investigating its potential in nephrotic syndrome and virus-induced hyperinflammation, such as that seen in COVID-19.