Australian antiviral drug development company, Island Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: ILA) has been granted a key patent relating to the company’s lead programme, ISLA-101, by the United States Patent & Trademark Office.
ISLA-101 is a drug with a very well-known safety profile, being repurposed for mosquito borne viruses.
Executive Chairman, Dr Paul MacLeman, said Island has licensed the IP portfolio, generated by Monash University.
The grant of the US patent is a significant development for Island Pharmaceuticals,” Dr MacLeman said.
“Mosquito borne viruses, such as dengue, Zika and others represent major unmet medical needs throughout the world and about 3 billion people – or 40% of the world’s population – live in areas with a risk of dengue.
“Having an allowed patent that protects Island’s lead programme in this largemmarket provides protection for the development of ISLA-101 and further underpins our ability to advance the programme in the US – a key target market.”
Dengue fever is often seen as predominantly a disease of developing countries. However, global warming has meant that mosquitoes carrying dengue are travelling further, and in the last few years, rising case numbers have been recorded in Florida and, as recently as 2019, in North Queensland. Hundreds of cases per annum have been seen in recent years in FIFO workers in West Australian mines.
Dengue is endemic in much of Asia, the South Pacific, South America, Central America and Africa. Around 390 million humans are infected each year, representing a significant unmet need and opportunity.