Solvonis Therapeutics secures key European patent for PTSD drug candidate

Solvonis Therapeutics PLC (LSE:SVNS, OTC:SLVNF) , the London-listed biopharmaceutical company, has been granted a Notice of Allowance by the European Patent Office for a composition-of-matter patent covering its lead PTSD treatment.

The allowance, which the company described as a "vital milestone", relates to the company's programme developing SVN-114, a drug candidate for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Composition-of-matter patents protect the underlying chemical compound itself rather than just a specific formulation or use, and are considered the strongest form of pharmaceutical patent protection.

The company said the allowance broadens the intellectual property estate supporting SVN-114, adding to three other chemically distinct supporting patent families that have each now achieved composition-of-matter grant or allowance in the US or Europe.

Standard EPO formalities must still be completed before formal grant, while a corresponding US application remains pending and examination has been requested in Canada.

PTSD affects an estimated 15.8 million people across the US, UK, EU4 and Japan, with limited approved drug treatments currently available.

Solvonis pointed to Otsuka Pharmaceutical's acquisition of Transcend Therapeutics in June, worth up to $1.225 billion including contingent payments, as evidence of growing investment in the PTSD treatment space.

SVN-114 is designed to reduce cardiovascular risk and abuse potential compared with existing approaches, while targeting faster metabolism and a shorte...