MNOV - MediciNova Receives a Notice of Decision to Grant for a New Patent Covering MN-166 (ibudilast) for the Treatment of Progressive MS in Europe | Benzinga
LA JOLLA, Calif., Dec. 06, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MediciNova, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company traded on the NASDAQ Global Market (NASDAQ:MNOV) and the Standard Market of the Tokyo Stock Exchange (Code Number: 4875), today announced it has received a Notice of Decision to Grant from the European Patent Office for a pending patent application which covers the combination of MN-166 (ibudilast) and interferon-beta for the treatment of progressive multiple sclerosis (progressive MS).
Once issued, the patent maturing from this allowed patent application is expected to expire no earlier than October 2039. The allowed claims cover a combination of MN-166 (ibudilast) and interferon-beta for use in a method of treating, alleviating the negative effects of, or slowing the progression of progressive multiple sclerosis in patients previously treated with interferon-beta. The allowed claims cover MN-166 (ibudilast) and interferon-beta administered in separate dosage forms, administered in the same dosage form, administered simultaneously, or administered consecutively. The allowed claims specifically cover the treatment of both primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) and secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). The allowed claims cover a wide range of doses of both MN-166 (ibudilast) and interferon-beta, a wide range of dosing durations for the combination, and a range of different dosing frequencies for interferon-beta.
Kazuko Matsuda, MD, PhD, MPH, Chief Medical Officer of MediciNova, Inc., commented, "We are very pleased to receive notice that this new patent will be granted in Europe and we believe it could increase the potential value of MN-166. Our analysis of the data from our completed Phase 2b trial in progressive MS indicated that there may be a synergistic effect of the combination of MN-166 and interferon-beta which could result in an even lower risk of disability progression compared to the risk reduction for MN-166 alone. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office previously granted a similar patent covering ...