Titan Pharmaceuticals has received patent number 7,736,665 from the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) covering Probuphine for the treatment of opiate addiction.
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Titan Pharmaceuticals is the assignee of this patent which claims a method for treating opiate addiction with a subcutaneously implanted device comprising buprenorphine and ethylene vinyl acetate, a biocompatible copolymer that releases buprenorphine continuously for extended periods of time.
Probuphine is designed to deliver six months of continuous, therapeutic levels of buprenorphine following a single treatment, and has the potential to reduce limitations currently associated with daily oral buprenorphine therapy, including poor compliance, variable blood levels contributing to opioid withdrawal and craving symptoms, and misdirection of drug.
The patent, which also includes certain additional claims covering the composition and dimensions of the device, will expire in June 2023 excluding any patent term adjustment which is expected to add several months to the life of the patent.
Sunil Bhonsle, president of Titan Pharma, said: “We are very pleased by the issuance of this patent which is expected to provide exclusivity in the US for Probuphine at least through mid 2023. We are also highly encouraged by the rapid progress in the confirmatory Phase 3 study.”
Marc Rubin, executive chairman of Titan Pharma, said: “Issuance of this patent is a major milestone in support of the potential commercial value of Probuphine. The board is very pleased with the progress and believes that Probuphine has the potential to provide an important new treatment option for patients with opiate addiction.”