ROCKVILLE, Md., June 13, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Sucampo) (Nasdaq:SCMP), a global biopharmaceutical company, today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued a patent for VTS-270, a novel and well-characterized 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HPβCD) product, under investigation as an intrathecally administered treatment for Niemann-Pick Disease Type C1 (NPC-1).
The patent, U.S. Patent No. 9,675,634, relates to proprietary cyclodextrin compositions with a specific fingerprint and purity profile that distinguish VTS-270 from other HPβCD products. The patent expires in 2036.
“We’re very pleased with the issuance of this patent, which protects the differentiated composition of VTS-270 and strengthens our intellectual property position,” said Peter Greenleaf, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Sucampo Pharmaceuticals. “The patent is further evidence of the profile of VTS-270, which we believe may provide a much-needed treatment for patients and families living with NPC-1.”
VTS-270, which is currently in a pivotal Phase 2b/3 trial, has been granted breakthrough therapy designation in the U.S. and orphan designation in both the U.S. and EU. Results from the pivotal trial are expected in mid-2018. NPC-1 is a rare, progressive and ultimately lethal genetic disorder affecting an estimated 2,000-3,000 patients globally. Effective treatment of NPC remains a high unmet need, with no approved products for patients in the U.S.
About Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of highly specialized medicines. Sucampo has a late-stage pipeline of product candidates in clinical development for orphan disease areas, including VTS-270, a 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin product with a specific compositional fingerprint that has been granted orphan designation in the U.S. and Europe and is in a pivotal Phase 2b/3 clinical trial for the treatment of Niemann-Pick Disease Type C-1, a rare progressive genetic disorder. VTS-270 also has been granted breakthrough therapy designation in the U.S. Sucampo has an exclusive option for the North American rights to CPP1-x/sulindac, which is in Phase 3 development for the treatment of familial adenomatous polyposis and has been granted orphan drug designation in the U.S. The company has two marketed products – AMITIZA and RESCULA. For more information, please visit www.sucampo.com.
The Sucampo logo and the tagline, The Science of Innovation, AMITIZA and RESCULA are registered trademarks of Sucampo and its affiliates.
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