The Japanese Patent Office has granted key patent to BioDiem Ltd, an Australian infectious disease therapy development company, for its antimicrobial compound, BDM-I. BDM-I is active against a range of pathogenic micro-organisms including bacteria, fungi and protozoa.
The new Japanese patent provides protection around BDM-I as a treatment for vulvovaginitis, a general term for inflammation of the vulva or vagina. Vulvovaginitis is commonly caused by infection from a range of different micro-organisms. It is one of the most common female health complaints across all demographics. This signals the achievement of patent coverage for BDM-I in the world’s three largest patent jurisdictions.
Specifically, the patent covers BDM-I as an antimicrobial compound for vulvovaginitis caused by a number of bacterial, fungal and parasitic agents such as Neisseria gonorrhoea, Candida albicans or Trichomonas vaginalis, respectively. C.albicans is one of the most common causes of yeast infections and is commonly referred to as thrush. N.gonorrhoeae causes gonorrhoea, and T.vaginalis is the most common sexually transmitted protozoan infection in industrialised countries. Infection with T.vaginalis has been correlated with reproductive issues and increased susceptibility to a range of other health issues including infection with HIV.
BioDiem CEO Julie Phillips said: “We are pleased to secure yet another key patent for BDM-I. Japan is a major regulatory market and successful granting of a Japanese patent is a milestone for BDM-I’s protection for this major indication across the world’s largest patent jurisdictions. Along with our recently initiated research project with Griffith University exploring new variants of BDM-I with enhanced commercial characteristics, this is a good progression of the BDM-I package.”
The rise in resistant infections has energised investment in novel antimicrobials. The market for anti-infectives was valued at US$ 53 billion in 2011 and is forecast to exceed $100 billion by 2015. The anti-fungals market was valued at US$ 9.4 billion in 2010 and estimated to reach US$ 11.3 billion in 2014.
BioDiem has been actively accelerating its development of BDM-I through reputable partnerships such as with the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), the National Institutes of Health and the Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR), while retaining full commercial and intellectual property rights for the work conducted.
Currently BioDiem is progressing further validation of BDM-I’s antimicrobial activity through in vivo proof of concept testing in models of target diseases including fungal, bacterial and parasitic models (schistosomiasis); conducting further studies to explore the scope of BDM-I’s indications with expanded screening studies, and embarking on a new project in collaboration with Griffith University.
BioDiem continues to utilise NIAID’s In Vitro Assessment and Antimicrobial Activity Service. Depending on the results and NIAID approval, BioDiem in the future may use NIAID’s Animal Models of Infectious Disease Service. Patents for BDM-I have been granted in the US, Europe, China, Russia, Singapore, South Africa and Australia whereas National Phase prosecution continues in other major markets. BioDiem has also filed additional divisional patents in Europe and the US for BDM-I.
BioDiem has an international focus on discovering, developing and commercialising world-class research and technology targeting infectious diseases and related cancers.