Discovery Laboratories obtains notice of allowance for new US patent

The notice of allowance is the US Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO’s) official communication that the examination of the patent application has been successfully completed and that a patent will be issued. Once issued, the patent will provide broad coverage for methods of using pulmonary surfactant to treat infants at risk of developing bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), said Discovery Laboratories.

Surfactants are produced naturally in the lungs and are essential for breathing. Discovery Labs said that its novel proprietary KL4 surfactant technology produces a synthetic, peptide-containing surfactant that is structurally similar to pulmonary surfactant and is being developed in liquid, aerosol or lyophilized formulations.

Robert Segal, senior vice president and chief medical officer of Discovery Labs, said: “We are very pleased with the USPTO’s decision to grant the patent for treatment of infants at risk of developing BPD. This patent provides additional intellectual property protection to our KL4 surfactant technology. We plan to continue strengthening our patent portfolio around KL4 surfactant to include treatment of a wide range of respiratory disorders.”