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Acorda Therapeutics Announces Allowance of Second US Patent Application

10-Aug-2011 | Source : | Visits : 9156
HAWTHORNE, NY - Acorda Therapeutics Inc. today announced in a press release that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has allowed US Patent Application No. 11/102,559 entitled "Method of Using Sustained Release Aminopyridine Compositions." 

The claims of the patent application relate to methods to improve walking, walking speed, lower extremity muscle tone and lower extremity muscle strength in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) by administering 10 mg of sustained release 4-aminopyridine (dalfampridine) twice daily. This patent application is separate from the AMPYRA(R) method of use patent application which was allowed by the USPTO in April 2011. 

"The allowance of this patent application further strengthens our patent protection for AMPRYA and enhances our ability to continue exploring potential new uses and indications, both in MS and other diseases," said Ron Cohen, M.D., president and CEO of Acorda Therapeutics. "The discoveries we made during our development of AMPYRA, several of which are reflected in this patent, were critical to receiving FDA approval and making this therapy available to people with MS who have walking impairment. We are pleased that the UPTO has recognized these findings as innovative and valuable contributions to medicine." 

The patent issuing from Application No. 11/102,559 is currently set to expire in April 2025, but is also eligible for patent term adjustment, to be determined by the USPTO based on the prosecution history. This patent is eligible for listing in the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Orange Book.
Sustained release 4-aminopyridine is marketed in the United States under the trade name AMPRYA(R) (dalfampridine) Extended Release Tablets, 10 mg. AMPYRA is an oral medication approved by the FDA as a treatment to improve walking in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). This was demonstrated by an increase in walking speed. 

AMPYRA is a potassium channel blocker approved as a treatment to improve walking in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). This was demonstrated by an increase in walking speed. AMPYRA, which was previously referred to as Fampridine-SR, is an extended release tablet formulation of dalfampridine (4-aminopyridine, 4-AP), which was previously called fampridine, and remains known by that name outside the US. In laboratory studies, dalfampridine has been found to improve impulse conduction in nerve fibers in which the insulating layer, called myelin, has been damaged. AMPYRA is being developed and commercialized in the United States by Acorda Therapeutics, and by Biogen Idec in markets outside the U.S. based on a licensing agreement with Acorda. AMPYRA is manufactured globally by Elan based on a supply agreement with Acorda. 

Acorda Therapeutics is a biotechnology company developing therapies for multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury and related nervous system disorders.
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