Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVNR) announced today that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has allowed a new patent that covers Avanir's product NUEDEXTA®, further expanding the intellectual property portfolio for the company's lead commercial asset. This asset is a dual sigma-1 and NMDA receptor modulator that is approved for the treatment of pseudobulbar affect (PBA), and is in clinical development for central neuropathic pain in patients with multiple sclerosis and agitation in patients with Alzheimer's disease.
U.S. Patent application number 13/415,067, entitled "Pharmaceutical Compositions Comprising Dextromethorphan and Quinidine for the Treatment of Neurological Disorders," claims methods for treating pseudobulbar affect or emotional lability using low-dose quinidine formulations of NUEDEXTA. The new patent will expire on July 17, 2023.
In addition to this newly allowed patent, the company has exclusive worldwide rights to a family of patents and patent applications that claim methods of treating various neurologic and psychiatric conditions using low-dose quinidine formulations of NUEDEXTA.
"This newly allowed patent is a valuable addition to our intellectual property portfolio," said Greg Flesher, senior vice president and chief business officer at Avanir Pharmaceuticals. "This additional layer of intellectual property protects our growing PBA business in the United States while we continue to explore additional clinical uses for NUEDEXTA."