CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BioAxone BioSciences, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on developing innovative drugs to treat neurotrauma and neurovascular disorders today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued a Notice of Allowance for the U.S. patent application (US 15/591,039). Upon issuance the patent will provide key intellectual property protection for BA-2017, a novel ROCK2 inhibitor in development to treat reperfusion injury in stroke. The claims cover the core structure of a proprietary small molecule designed to reverse the loss of endothelial barrier dysfunction that occurs in neurovascular disorders of the central nervous system. Once issued, the patent will expire in 2037, not including any patent term extensions. BioAxone is currently conducting IND-enabling studies for development of an acute care drug to repair the endothelial cell dysfunction that leads to risk of edema and hemorrhagic transformation in stroke.
BA-2017 is part of the neurovascular-focused pipeline of Rho kinase 2 inhibitors in development by BioAxone. Rho kinase 2 (ROCK2) is a drug target that plays a key role in propagating biological signals that regulate brain endothelial cell barrier function. Inhibition of overactivated ROCK2 restores endothelial cell barrier dysfunction in animal models of stroke.
“A comprehensive patent portfolio is essential for potential partners to commercially develop our drugs, and we have filed several patent applications to cover promising compositions and therapies for our catalogue of ROCK2 inhibitors,” said Lisa McKerracher, PhD, CEO, BioAxone BioSciences. “This composition of matter patent is an important addition to our IP portfolio as we work on therapies to restore cell barrier function in various diseases. We look forward to continued success with our programs to treat unmet needs.”
About BioAxone BioSciences
BioAxone BioSciences is a
clinical-stage biotechnology company based in Cambridge, MA, and is
developing innovative drugs to restore neurological function for
patients with spinal cord injuries and neurovascular disorders. The
company also has preclinical programs in restoring epithelial barriers
in gastrointestinal disease and in glaucoma. BioAxone is led by a team
of scientists renowned for their work on axon regeneration, diseases
involving Rho/ROCK signaling and cell barrier function. For more
information, visit http://www.bioaxonebio.com
and follow the company on Twitter at @BioAxone.
