STOCKHOLM. Umecrine Cognition AB today announces that the European Patent Office (EPO) has granted a patent covering its lead candidate drug GR3027 for the medical use in hepatic encephalopathy (HE). The granted patent will expire in 2035.
EPO has today granted Umecrine Cognition a patent for its drug candidate GR3027 in Europe. The patent covers the medical use in hepatic encephalopathy. A corresponding patent was granted in the US by the end of 2017.
“The European patent approval for GR3027 is a welcome event that adds to our intellectual property rights. A relevant and valid IP platform will ensure that Umecrine Cognition can safeguard the commercial potential of GR3027,” comments Magnus Doverskog, CEO of Umecrine Cognition.
HE is a serious neuropsychiatric and neurocognitive complication in acute and chronic liver disease with detrimental effects on health-related quality of life as a consequence of its diverse and debilitating symptoms. The condition is associated with impairments of the sleep-wake cycle, consciousness, cognition, memory, decreased energy levels, personality change, and reduced motor skills.
GR3027 is a GABAA receptor modulating steroid antagonist (GAMSA). Enhanced GABAA receptor signaling is a key driver for the neurological symptoms associated with HE and the compound class and mechanism of action represented by GR3027 has shown promising therapeutic properties to restore cognitive and motor function in hyperammonemia and HE.
For further information, please contact:
Magnus Doverskog, CEO, Umecrine Cognition AB
Phone: +46 (0)73 039 20 52, e-mail: [email protected]
TO THE EDITORS
About Umecrine Cognition AB
Umecrine Cognition is developing a potential therapy that represents a new target class relevant for several major CNS-related disorders. The primary focus is to develop a treatment for life-threatening overt Hepatic Encephalopathy and long-term treatment in minimal Hepatic Encephalopathy in patients with liver disease, a growing area with high unmet medical need. The current lack of therapeutics that directly addresses the neurocognitive signs and symptoms of Hepatic Encephalopathy makes a novel treatment likely to become a major contribution for the treatment of this disorder. For more information, please visit www.umecrinecognition.com.