The patent covers, amongst others, compositions where the active ingredient is selected from mesalazine, budesonide, metformin, octylonium bromide, gabapentin, carbidopa, nimesulide, propionylcarnitine, isosorbide mono- and dinitrate, naproxen, ibuprofen, ketoprofen, diclofenac, thiaprophenic acid, chlorhexidine, benzydamine, tibezonium iodide, cetylpryridium chloride, benzahlkonium chloride and sodium fluoride.
The MMX technology not only allows the delivery of drugs that are topically active into the intestine in an optimized form and extent but may also be applied to some other drugs to make them locally available.
This patent will expire in 2020, not considering possible supplementary protection certificates. The patent was previously granted in Europe in 2003 and in other countries outside the US.
Mauro Ajani, CEO of Cosmo, said: “We are pleased that the US Patent and Trademark Office has granted this patent and believe that this is a further step towards firmly establishing MMX as the leading technology in delivering GI therapies. It gives us a strong base upon which to expand MMX into a wide range of new indications in the important US market.”