Invex Therapeutics (ASX:IXC) has received a patent grant from the European Patent Office for its development and commercialisation of Presendin (sustained release Exenatide) for neurological conditions relating to raised intracranial pressure.
The patent provides additional claims for the use of Exenatide and other GLP-1 receptor agonists in reducing elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) associated with the treatment of hydrocephalus, normal pressure hydrocephalus or meningitis.
We are pleased to be granted this additional European patent, which further extends the protection of Exenatide across multiple human diseases associated with raised ICP,” Dr Thomas Duthy, Executive Director of Invex Therapeutics, said.
Hydrocephalus is a neurological disorder associated with an increased volume of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) within the cerebral ventricles that typically is associated with increased ICP. The overall global prevalence of hydrocephalus is approximately 85 per 100,000 individuals.
Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) is most common for persons over the age of 65, and is similar to hydrocephalus, except ICP is not dangerously high. Current treatments for hydrocephalus rely on the surgical implantation of a shunt into the brain to drain excess CSF. Shunts are associated with significant mortality and morbidity in patients. The hydrocephalus market was worth US$3.3 billion globally in 20221.
Meningitis is the inflammation of the tissues surrounding the brain and spinal cord and is most commonly associated with infection, which also has an established association with increased ICP. There are no approved treatments for treating raised ICP in meningitis despite it being a common complication of meningitis irrespective of the pathogen causing the underlying infection.
