- New Patent Extends BLU-5937's Patent
Protection to 2038 -
- Expands Portfolio That Also Includes Patent
Protection for Composition of Matter for BLU-5937 in All Major
Pharmaceutical Markets -
LAVAL, QC, Oct. 31, 2018 /CNW/ - BELLUS Health Inc. (TSX:
BLU) ("BELLUS Health" or the "Company"), a clinical-stage
biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics for
conditions with high unmet medical need, today announced that the
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued U.S Patent No.
10,111,883, granting claims for the use of BELLUS Health's lead
drug candidate BLU-5937 for the treatment of chronic cough without
affecting taste response. More generally, the patent entitled
"Selective P2X3 Modulators" claims the use of imidazopyridine
compounds that are selective for the P2X3 receptor as a means of
minimizing taste perturbation in patients treated for chronic
cough. In addition to BLU-5937, the patent claims the use of
related selective imidazopyridine compounds and pharmaceutical
compositions comprising BLU-5937. Patent No. 10,111,883 has an
expiration date of 2038, excluding any potential patent term
extension.
This patent adds to BLU-5937's intellectual property portfolio
which already includes composition of matter patent protection for
BLU-5937 in all major pharmaceutical markets (U.S., Europe, Japan
and China) until 2034.
"In multiple clinical trials, treating with a P2X3 antagonist
was shown to be highly efficacious in the treatment of chronic
cough" said Roberto Bellini,
President and CEO of BELLUS Health. "However, this anti-tussive
efficacy comes coupled with a profound effect on taste perception,
including taste loss, due to poor selectivity for the P2X3
receptor. This new U.S. patent affords a broad and comprehensive
protection for our lead drug candidate BLU-5937 claiming the
compound's selectivity as a means of minimizing deleterious taste
effects and extends the patent protection of BLU-5937 by an
additional 4 years".
About BLU-5937 for Chronic Cough
BLU-5937 is a potent, highly selective, orally bioavailable
small molecule antagonist of the P2X3 receptor, a clinically
validated target for chronic cough. BLU-5937 has the potential to
be a best-in-class therapeutic for chronic cough patients who do
not respond to current therapies.
In July 2018, BELLUS Health
initiated a clinical Phase 1 study for BLU-5937 in healthy
subjects. Results are expected in the fourth quarter of 2018. A
clinical Phase 2 study is expected to be initiated in 2019 in
chronic cough patients.
In preclinical studies, BLU-5937 exhibited an excellent safety
profile and a potent anti-tussive effect without affecting taste
perception.
Chronic cough is a cough that lasts more than eight weeks and is
associated with significant adverse social, psychosocial and
physical effects on quality of life. A recent commercial assessment
performed by Torreya Insights on behalf of the Company concluded
that, in the United States alone,
more than 26 million adults have chronic cough and more than
2.6 million of these patients suffer from refractory chronic cough
lasting for more than a year.
About BELLUS Health (www.bellushealth.com)
BELLUS Health is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company
developing novel therapeutics for conditions with high unmet
medical need. Its pipeline of projects includes the Company's lead
drug candidate BLU-5937 for chronic cough and several other
partnered clinical-stage drug development programs.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements contained in this news release, other than
statements of fact that are independently verifiable at the date
hereof, may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the
meaning of Canadian securities legislation and regulations. Such
statements, based as they are on the current expectations of
management, inherently involve numerous important risks,
uncertainties and assumptions, known and unknown, many of which are
beyond BELLUS Health Inc.'s control. Such risks factors include but
are not limited to: the ability to expand and develop its project
pipeline, the ability to obtain financing, the impact of general
economic conditions, general conditions in the pharmaceutical
industry, changes in the regulatory environment in the
jurisdictions in which BELLUS Health Inc. does business, stock
market volatility, fluctuations in costs, changes to the
competitive environment due to consolidation, achievement of
forecasted burn rate, potential payments/outcomes in relation to
indemnity agreements and contingent value rights, achievement of
forecasted pre-clinical and clinical trial milestones and that
actual results may vary once the final and quality-controlled
verification of data and analyses has been completed. In addition,
the length of BELLUS Health Inc.'s drug candidates' development
process, their market size and commercial value, as well as the
sharing of proceeds between BELLUS Health Inc. and its potential
partners from potential future revenues, if any, are dependent upon
a number of factors. Consequently, actual future results and events
may differ materially from the anticipated results and events
expressed in the forward-looking statements. BELLUS Health Inc.
believes that expectations represented by forward-looking
statements are reasonable, yet there can be no assurance that such
expectations will prove to be correct. The reader should not place
undue reliance, if any, on any forward-looking statements included
in this news release. These forward-looking statements speak only
as of the date made, and BELLUS Health Inc. is under no obligation
and disavows any intention to update publicly or revise such
statements as a result of any new information, future event,
circumstances or otherwise, unless required by applicable
legislation or regulation. Please see BELLUS Health Inc.'s public
filings with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities,
including the Annual Information Form, for further risk factors
that might affect BELLUS Health Inc. and its business.
SOURCE BELLUS Health Inc.