Allon Therapeutics Inc announced that the European Patent Office has issued a notice of allowance for a patent covering the composition and method of use of the company's lead neuroprotective compound davenutide (NAP) as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease.

Allon's product candidate davunetide intranasal (AL-108) has demonstrated efficacy in a phase-IIa clinical trial in which short-term and working memory performance was improved in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment, a precursor to Alzheimer's disease. The company will begin additional phase-II trials this year.

Davunetide (NAP) is an eight amino acid peptide, Asn-Ala-Pro-Val-Ser-Ile-Pro-Gln, single letter code Napvsipq (NAP), derived from Allon's activity-dependent neuroprotective protein (ADNP) technology platform.

The European Patent Office allowable claims also include the composition of matter of the nucleic acid sequence that encodes the ADNP protein and the composition of the ADNP protein, as well as davunetide (NAP) derivatives.

Allon's two neuroprotective technology platforms are based on naturally occurring proteins produced by the brain in response to a range of insults.

Allon Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing treatments for major neurodegenerative conditions.