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Company News: InDex Pharmaceuticals Strengthens IP Position for Kappaproct

– Novel patent for Phase III lead drug candidate filed in the EU, US –

InDex Pharmaceuticals today announced the filing of  a new patent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and with the European Patent Office. The company thereby continues to strengthen the company’s intellectual property portfolio around its lead drug candidate Kappaproct. The newly filed patent with the title “Methods for prevention of colectomy” covers methods for preventing or reducing the need of colectomy using an oligonucleotide with a specific core sequence and has the potential to extend patent protection on Kappaproct to 2032.  Kappaproct is a DNA-based synthetic oligonucleotide, which functions as an immunomodulatory agent by targeting TLR9. Kappaproct is currently in a phase III study in Europe for the treatment of chronic, active, treatment-refractory ulcerative colitis. InDex Pharmaceuticals already holds broad patent protection for Kappaproct for the treatment of steroid-resistant inflammatory diseases in both Europe and the US through at least 2027, with the possibility of a 3 to 5-year term extension after market approval.

In June 2012, InDex Pharmaceuticals reported positive data from the Company’s compassionate use program with its lead compound Kappaproct. The findings published in the peer-reviewed journal  Inflammatory Bowel Diseases showed that more than two years post treatment, all but one of the treated patients had avoided the need for colectomy, with the longest patient being in symptom-free remission for over 27 months.