(CercleFinance.com) – AB Science announces today that the Canadian patent office has issued a notice of acceptance for a patent relating to methods of treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) with its lead molecule, masitinib (CA 3018635).
This new Canadian patent provides strong protection for masitinib in the treatment of ALS until 2037 and completes the Company’s position in intellectual property in ALS in all
geographic areas where masitinib could be marketed.
In addition to patent protection, masitinib may also benefit
of regulatory data protection in Canada, which prevents generic competition for a period of eight years from initial marketing authorization.
Masitinib has also received orphan drug designation for ALS from both the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This orphan drug designation confers respectively 10 and 7 years of market exclusivity in
Europe and USA from product registration.