InDex Pharmaceuticals Granted Japanese Patent for Novel Treatment of Steroid-Resistant Inflammation

Stockholm, October 24, 2012 – InDex Pharmaceuticals today announced that it has been granted a Japanese patent by the Japan Patent Office (JPO). The patent provides protection for the use of Kappaproct® and other DNA-based immunomodulatory sequences (DIMS) for the treatment of steroid-resistant inflammatory diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, asthma, emphysema, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The patent, entitled “Immunostimulatory Method” covers the use of a broad range of oligonucleotides for the treatment of steroid resistance in patients afflicted with inflammatory conditions. It provides an exclusivity period until at least 2026, with the possibility of up to 5 years of patent term extension after market approval. InDex Pharmaceuticals already holds patent protection for Kappaproct for the treatment of steroid-resistant inflammatory diseases in both Europe and the US.

“We are very pleased with the granting of this key patent by the Japanese Patent Office, which further confirms Kappaproct is a unique and innovative asset for treatment-resistant inflammation,” said Jesper Wiklund, CEO of InDex Pharmaceuticals. “This newly granted patent is an important value driver for InDex since we now have exclusivity for Kappaproct in Japan beyond 2026. Moreover, it further strengthens our intellectual property estate for our technology platform.”

InDex Pharmaceuticals develops DIMS compounds - synthetic oligonucleotides that function as immunomodulatory agents by targeting the Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9). The company’s most advanced DIMS product candidate, Kappaproct, is currently in a phase III study in Europe for the treatment of chronic, active, treatment-refractory ulcerative colitis.

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About Kappaproct
Kappaproct is a single-strand, DNA-based synthetic oligonucleotide. It functions as an immuno-modulatory agent by targeting TLR9. In clinical trials, Kappaproct has shown positive effects in the treatment of severe ulcerative colitis patients. A European multicenter Phase III study, COLLECT, is currently being conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Kappaproct for the treatment of severe ulcerative colitis patients not responding to available therapy. More information about the ongoing study can be found on clinicaltrials.gov with the ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT01493960. Kappaproct has received orphan drug designation in Europe.

Media Inquiries:
akampion
Dr. Ludger Wess or Ines-Regina Buth
Tel.: +49 (0)40 88 16 59 64 / +49 (0)30 2363 2768
info@akampion.com

About InDex Pharmaceuticals
InDex Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company focusing on the discovery and development of immunology-based treatments exclusively addressing disease states with a high unmet medical need. InDex Pharmaceuticals is also dedicated to personalized medicine and is developing companion diagnostics that will allow for the selection of only those patients likely to respond to a treatment. In 2009, InDex Pharmaceuticals launched the diagnostic test DiBiCol® in Sweden. DiBiCol differentiates between ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, the two major forms of inflammatory bowel disease. InDex Pharmaceuticals was founded in 2000 and is located in Stockholm, Sweden.
For additional information about Kappaproct and InDex Pharmaceuticals please visit www.indexpharma.com.

InDex Pharmaceuticals
Jesper Wiklund, CEO
Retzius väg 8
SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
Tel: +46 8 508 847 35/ +46 (0)733 59 05 53
jesper.wiklund@indexpharma.com

This release was published on openPR.