VICTORIA, British Columbia–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: AUPH) (Aurinia or the Company) today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has allowed a method of use patent application titled IMPROVED PROTOCOL FOR TREATMENT OF LUPUS NEPHRITIS. Aurinia’s newly allowed U.S. Patent Application (No. 17/713,140) reflects the unique and proprietary dosing regimen of its currently marketed product, LUPKYNIS. Specifically, this patent further refines the method of using LUPKYNIS in combination with mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and corticosteroids using eGFR as a method of pharmacodynamically dosing the product in patients with lupus nephritis. The newly allowed application provides patent coverage that supplements Aurinia’s existing U.S. Patent No. 10,286,036, which is listed in the Orange Book and claims an FDA-approved method of using LUPKYNIS. The claims in this additional patent add further specificity on dosing consistent with the FDA approved product label. This patent has the potential to provide an additional layer of patent protection for LUPKYNIS up to 2037. The Company intends to list this newly allowed patent in the Orange Book once issued.
In addition, Aurinia is also announcing that it has recently received a Notice of Intention to Grant from the European Patent Office (EPO) for a patent application that has similar claims to Aurinia’s existing method of use U.S. Patent No. 10,286,036. This European patent application was pursued through the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) process. Once issued, this patent could provide protection up to 2037 across Europe.
“This allowance by the USPTO and the concomitant news from the European Patent Office further strengthens our Intellectual Property portfolio as it pertains to LUPKYNIS and its unique pharmacodynamic dosing protocol which is detailed in the FDA package insert. These new patents, once issued, will enhance the long-term potential of LUPKYNIS,” said Peter Greenleaf, Chief Executive Officer of Aurinia.
About Lupus Nephritis
LN is a serious manifestation of SLE, a chronic and complex autoimmune disease. About 200,000-300,000 people live with SLE in the U.S. and about one-third of these people are diagnosed with lupus nephritis at the time of their SLE diagnosis. About 50 percent of all people with SLE may develop lupus nephritis. If poorly controlled, LN can lead to permanent and irreversible tissue damage within the kidney. Black and Asian individuals with SLE are four times more likely to develop LN and individuals of Hispanic ancestry are approximately twice as likely to develop the disease when compared with Caucasian individuals. Black and Hispanic individuals with SLE also tend to develop LN earlier and have poorer outcomes when compared to Caucasian individuals.
About LUPKYNIS
LUPKYNIS® is the first U.S. FDA- and EC-approved oral medicine for the treatment of adult patients with active LN. LUPKYNIS is a novel, structurally modified calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) with a dual mechanism of action, acting as an immunosuppressant through inhibition of T-cell activation and cytokine production and promoting podocyte stability in the kidney. The recommended starting dose of LUPKYNIS is three capsules twice daily with no requirement for serum drug monitoring. Dose modifications can be made based on Aurinia’s proprietary personalized eGFR-based dosing protocol. Boxed Warning, warnings, and precautions for LUPKYNIS are consistent with those of other CNI-immunosuppressive treatments.
[huge_it_slider id=”15″]About Aurinia
Aurinia Pharmaceuticals is a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company focused on delivering therapies to treat targeted patient populations that are impacted by serious diseases with a high unmet medical need. In January 2021, the Company introduced LUPKYNIS® (voclosporin), the first FDA-approved oral therapy for the treatment of adult patients with active lupus nephritis (LN). The Company’s head office is in Victoria, British Columbia, its U.S. commercial hub is in Rockville, Maryland, and the Company focuses its development efforts globally.