US Patent Covering Gene Therapy Drug Candidates for Treatment of Osteoarthritis Issued

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) grants a patent for FX201 (GeneQuine’s former human drug candidate GQ-203, acquired by Flexion Therapeutics, Inc.) and veterinary analogs for treatment of osteoarthritis.

The patent covers composition of matter and method of use of helper-dependent adenoviral vectors expressing interleukin-1 receptor antagonist in the treatment of osteoarthritis. In December of 2017, Flexion Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: FLXN) of Burlington, MA, USA, acquired the global rights to FX201 from GeneQuine Biotherapeutics GmbH for human applications, while GeneQuine retained the rights for veterinary use. Securing patent protection in USA is a major milestone as USA represents the largest market for treatment of osteoarthritis.

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