DS Biopharma, a biopharmaceutical company, announced that its patent covering the use of bioactive active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) DS102 (15-HEPE) for fatty liver disorders has been granted by the European Patent Office (EPO).

The allowed claims of patent EP2762143, entitled "Compositions Comprising 15-HEPE and Methods of Using the Same" cover the use of the DS Biopharma API DS102 in the treatment of fatty liver disorders including non-alcoholic fatty liver disorder (NAFLD) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

Tien Nghiem, director of product development and intellectual property at DS, commented, "We are delighted to announce this important milestone in our advanced programme to develop an effective treatment for fatty liver diseases using an innovative bioactive lipid."

The granted patent provides exclusivity until 2033. Applications with similar scope of protection are pending in the US and other key countries. DS Biopharma continues to prosecute additional patent applications for DS102 in both Europe and the rest of the world. The company maintains a strong intellectual property portfolio comprising over twenty patent families protecting its compounds and products under development. This is the seventh granted patent in the DS pharmaceutical portfolio.

DS are completing a phase I trial with DS102 and will commence a phase II trial for DS102 in the treatment of fatty liver disorders in Q2 2016.