On April 23, 2019 MediciNova, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company traded on the NASDAQ Global Market (NASDAQ:MNOV) and the JASDAQ Market of the Tokyo Stock Exchange (Code Number:4875), reported that it has received a Notice of Allowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a pending patent application which covers MN-166 (ibudilast) for the treatment of glioblastoma (Press release, MediciNova, APR 23, 2019, View Source;p=RssLanding&cat=news&id=2395443 [SID1234535345]).
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Once issued, the patent maturing from this allowed patent application is expected to expire no earlier than December 2037. The allowed claims cover a method of treating a patient diagnosed with glioblastoma or recurrent glioblastoma using MN-166 (ibudilast) as part of a combination therapy. The allowed claims cover the use of MN-166 (ibudilast) with several types of combination therapies including laquinimod in addition to radiation therapy, electric field therapy, and various therapeutic agents such as temozolomide.
Yuichi Iwaki, MD, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of MediciNova, Inc., commented, "We are very pleased to receive notice that this new patent will be granted. We believe it could substantially increase the potential value of MN-166 as we recently initiated enrollment in a clinical trial of MN-166 in combination with temozolomide for the treatment of recurrent glioblastoma."
About Glioblastoma
According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, glioblastoma (GBM) is a devastating brain cancer that typically results in death in the first 15 months after diagnosis. GBM develops from glial cells (astrocytes and oligodendrocytes) and rapidly grows and commonly spreads into nearby brain tissue. GBM is classified as Grade IV, the highest grade, in the World Health Organization (WHO) brain tumor grading system. The American Brain Tumor Association reports that GBM represents 15% of all brain tumors and 56% of all gliomas and has the highest number of cases of all malignant tumors, with approximately 12,000 new cases diagnosed each year. Despite decades of advancements in neuroimaging, neurosurgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, only modest improvements have been achieved and the prognosis has not improved for individuals diagnosed with GBM. Median survival is 14.6 months and two-year survival is 30%. Approximately 5% of GBM patients survive longer than 36 months.
About MN-166 (ibudilast)
MN-166 (ibudilast) is a first-in-class, orally bioavailable, small molecule macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) inhibitor and phosphodiesterase (PDE) -4 and -10 inhibitor that suppresses pro-inflammatory cytokines and promotes neurotrophic factors. It attenuates activated glial cells, which play a major role in certain neurological conditions. MN-166 (ibudilast)’s anti-neuroinflammatory and neuroprotective actions have been demonstrated in preclinical and clinical studies, which provide the rationale for treatment of progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), glioblastoma (GBM) and substance abuse/addiction. MediciNova is developing MN-166 for progressive MS and other neurological conditions such as ALS, glioblastoma, substance abuse/addiction and chemotherapy-induced neuropathy. MediciNova has a portfolio of patents which covers the use of MN-166 (ibudilast) to treat various diseases including progressive MS, ALS, and drug addiction.