Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ALXN) has announced that it has been issued with three patents for its Soliris drug. The patents relate to the structure of Soliris, which is also known as eculizumab, as well as pharmaceutical formulations.
“Alexion is the leader in complement biology and has invested decades of ground-breaking research and development in Soliris. We continue to strengthen our patent portfolio around this unique complement inhibitor,” said Alexion’s chief executive officer, Ludwig Hantson.
More countries, more indications
The New Haven, Connecticut-based pharmaceutical company is also pursuing the awarding of patents for its Soliris drug in other countries and regions including Japan and Europe. Additionally, Alexion is seeking to be granted patents for other indications that apply to Soliris. This includes treatment of myasthenia gravis.
The awarding of patents to Alexion Pharmaceuticals by the USPTO – United States Patent and Trademark Office coincides with the partnering of the New Haven, Connecticut-based firm with Sema4, an informatics startup. In the partnership the two entities plan to speed drug discovery as well as enhance the diagnosis process of rare diseases.
SmartPanel Analytics
In order to expedite how long it takes for a rare disease to be diagnosed, Alexion Pharmaceuticals’ SmartPanel Analytics will be used in the partnership. The tool will assist physicians with regards to what might be the problem in instances where the symptoms that a patient is exhibiting are unfamiliar to a doctor.
In Sema4’s short existence, the startup has enjoyed success in genomic interpretation and next-generation sequencing. Currently it is not possible to determine how much of an improvement the partnership will bring about with regards to how long it takes to identify a rare disease or in coming up with new drugs for their treatment. It will all be dependent on the patient and on the disease.
The two firms will also partner in searching for as well as decoding the genomic shields of rare diseases. Through bioinformatics and advanced data science the two firms will be able to construct rare disease biology models.
On Tuesday shares of Alexion Pharmaceuticals edged up by 0.93% to close the day at $135.21 a share.
