A Notice of Allowance is issued after the USPTO makes a determination that a patent can be granted from an application.
"These patent allowances are a critical component in building a robust intellectual property portfolio for Alkermes’ innovative CNS medicines and reflect the significant innovations our scientific teams are making," stated Elliot Ehrich, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Alkermes. "Aripiprazole lauroxil, ALKS 5461, ALKS 3831 and ALKS 7106 each represent novel therapeutic approaches with potential to address unmet needs in their respective disease areas."
- Aripiprazole lauroxil: The USPTO issued a Notice of Allowance for U.S. Patent Application 13/607,066, entitled "Heterocyclic Compounds for the Treatment of Neurological and Psychological Disorders." The allowed claims will cover methods of treating schizophrenia, mania, bipolar disorder, anxiety or depression by administering a broad class of compounds, including aripiprazole lauroxil, Alkermes’ long-acting injectable antipsychotic agent designed to provide patients with once-monthly dosing of a medication that, once in the body, converts to aripiprazole. Alkermes expects this patent to issue within the next few months and expire no earlier than September 2030.
- ALKS 5461: The USPTO issued a Notice of Allowance for U.S. Patent Application 13/715,198, entitled "Compositions of Buprenorphine and a Mu Antagonist." The allowed composition of matter claims will cover ALKS 5461. ALKS 5461 is Alkermes’ once-daily, oral investigational medicine with a novel mechanism of action for the adjunctive treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). Alkermes expects this patent to issue within the next few months and expire no earlier than December 2032.
- ALKS 3831: The USPTO issued a Notice of Allowance for U.S. Patent Application 13/215,718, entitled "Methods for Treating Antipsychotic-Induced Weight Gain" for ALKS 3831, Alkermes’ broad-spectrum antipsychotic for the treatment of schizophrenia. The allowed methods of treatment claims will cover the attenuation of weight gain associated with olanzapine in patients with schizophrenia by administering the combination of samidorphan (formerly known as ALKS 33) and olanzapine. Alkermes expects this patent to issue on July 15, 2014 as U.S. Patent No. 8,778,960 and expire no earlier than August 2031.
- ALKS 7106: The USPTO issued a Notice of Allowance for U.S. Patent Application 14/169,305, entitled "4-Hydroxybenzomorphans" for ALKS 7106, Alkermes’ novel, small-molecule drug candidate for pain. The allowed composition of matter claims will cover ALKS 7106 and salts thereof. In addition, the Notice of Allowance covers a method of treating pain by administering ALKS 7106. Alkermes expects this patent to issue within the next few months and expire no earlier than November 2025. This Notice of Allowance augments the existing patent portfolio for ALKS 7106 which includes U.S. Patent No. 8,680,112, which covers broad method of treatment claims through 2029.