The US Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted Achillion Pharmaceuticals US Patent No. 8,809,313, covering composition-of-matter and method of use claims for ACH-3102 and structurally related NS5A inhibitor compounds.

ACH-3102 is Achillion's second generation phase 2 NS5A inhibitor being investigated for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. This patent is entitled "Substituted aliphanes, cyclophanes, heteraphanes, heterophanes, hetero-heteraphanes and metallocenes useful for treating HCV infections," and provides a patent term which lasts until 2032.

"We believe that this key patent grant will provide another important anchor for Achillion's intellectual property portfolio. With the issuance of this patent for our differentiated NS5A inhibitor, ACH-3102, along with the previously granted patent for sovaprevir, our NS3/4A protease inhibitor, we are pleased to recognise the talented Achillion team that discovered and has advanced these compounds into phase 2 trials evaluating their use in all-oral combination regimens for the treatment of chronic HCV," commented Milind Deshpande, president and chief executive officer of Achillion.

The hepatitis C virus is the most common cause of viral hepatitis, which is an inflammation of the liver. It is currently estimated that more than 150 million people are infected with HCV worldwide including more than 5 million people in the United States. Three-fourths of the HCV patient population is undiagnosed; it is a silent epidemic and a major global health threat. Chronic hepatitis, if left untreated, can lead to permanent liver damage that can result in the development of liver cancer, liver failure or death.

Achillion is an innovative pharmaceutical company dedicated to bringing important new treatments to patients with infectious disease. Achillion's discovery, clinical development, and commercial teams have advanced multiple novel product candidates with proven mechanisms of action into studies and toward the market.