Subject to final issuance from the Patent and Trademark Office, the newly allowed claims are expected to expire in 2024, taking into account an anticipated patent term adjustment of at least 21 months.
In addition to the allowed US patent application, a corresponding patent has also been granted in Australia, and is pending in numerous other countries.
Carl Pelzel, Depomed’s president and CEO, said: “This additional patent and the 67 newly allowed claims significantly extend the patent portfolio around our two active Gabapentin GR programs, one of which is currently in a pivotal Phase III clinical trial for the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia, and another for the treatment of menopausal hot flashes which we expect to advance into Phase III later this year.”