PRESS RELEASE
AB SCIENCE RECEIVES CHINESE PATENT PROTECTING MASITINIB IN THE TREATMENT OF COVID-19 UNTIL 2041, ADDING ONE MORE INDICATION WITH LONG TERM INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY PROTECTION
Paris, May 19, 2025, 8am CET
AB Science SA (Euronext - FR0010557264 - AB) today announced that the Chinese Patent Office has issued a patent relating to methods of treating severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection causing COVID-19 (i.e. a medical use patent) with its lead compound masitinib. This new Chinese patent provides intellectual property protection for masitinib in this indication until April 2041.
As part of a collaborative research agreement with the University of Chicago, AB Science signed an exclusive licensing agreement to conduct research for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 with masitinib and other AB Science proprietary drugs [1]. In case of commercialization in viral disease, AB Science will benefit from an exclusive, royalty-bearing license on any discoveries made with AB Science products (1% of net sales on first registered product and 0.3% of net sales on further registered product to be paid to the University of Chicago).
The patent is based in part on preclinical data that has been published in the world-renowned journal Science, and which identified masitinib as a broad antiviral agent capable of treating SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19), including demonstration of in vivo activity in mice, with efficacy maintained, in vitro, against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern [2].
AB Science also recently communicated the positive results of its phase 2 study evaluating masitinib in COVID-19. At that time, Professor Olivier Hermine, MD, President of the Scientific Committee of AB Science and member of the Académie des Sciences in France commented, "This result confirms the anti-inflammatory activity of masitinib, by controlling activated macrophages and mast cells involved in COVID. In addition, several publications highlighted the capacity of masitinib to act as an indirect broad antiviral agent against COVID. With this result, masitinib can be considered a drug of choice to be evaluated in the context of a future pandemic" [3].
Reference
[1] AB Science press release, April 6, 2021. https://www.ab-science.com/signing-of-an-exclusive-licensing-agreement-with-the-university-of-chicago-to-conduct-research-for-the-prevention-and-treatment-of-covid-19/
[2] Drayman N, DeMarco JK, Jones KA, et al. Masitinib is a broad coronavirus 3CL inhibitor that blocks replication of SARS-CoV-2. Science. 2021;373(6557):931-936. doi:10.1126/science.abg5827
[3] AB Science press release, July 8, 2024. https://www.ab-science.com/positive-results-of-the-phase-2-study-evaluating-masitinib-in-covid-19/
About AB Science
Founded in 2001, AB Science is a pharmaceutical company specializing in the research, development and commercialization of protein kinase inhibitors (PKIs), a class of targeted proteins whose action are key in signaling pathways within cells. Our programs target only diseases with high unmet medical needs, often lethal with short term survival or rare or refractory to previous line of treatment.
AB Science has developed a proprietary portfolio of molecules and the Company's lead compound, masitinib, has already been registered for veterinary medicine and is developed in human medicine in oncology, neurological diseases, inflammatory diseases and viral diseases. The company is headquartered in Paris, France, and listed on Euronext Paris (ticker: AB).
Further information is available on AB Science's website: www.ab-science.com.
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