Lpath, Inc., the industry leader in lipidomics-based therapeutics, has been issued two key patents by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

The first patent (US 7,829,674) contains claims covering the composition of matter for Lpath's anti-Sphingosine-1-Phosphate (S1P) antibody, sonepcizumab, the active component in Lpath's two lead compounds, iSONEP and ASONEP.

The second patent (US 7,794,713) is a method-of-use patent, with claims covering the use of anti-S1P antibodies for treating S1P-associated hyperproliferative diseases associated with aberrant cardiac remodelling, such as cardiac failure and restenosis.

Lpath was previously awarded a US patent covering uses of anti-S1P antibodies in the treatment of cancer (US 7,169,390).

According to Dr Laurel Bernstein, executive director of intellectual property for Lpath, "The USPTO has validated the novelty and utility of Lpath's S1P-neutralizing monoclonal antibodies and their use in the treatment of a range of diverse diseases and conditions."

Scott Pancoast, Lpath's CEO, added: "With the issuance of these two patents, our lead programs are further protected, significantly enhancing their commercial value over time."

Lpath recently completed two early-stage clinical trials using sonepcizumab. iSONEP, the ocular formulation of sonepcizumab, was evaluated in a Phase 1 trial in wet-AMD subjects, and ASONEP, the systemic formulation, was evaluated in a phase 1 trial in cancer subjects. The trials provided strong evidence of an excellent safety profile, both systemically and in the eye, and provided insights into their efficacy and pharmacodynamics that will inform Lpath in the design of follow-on studies.

About Lpath's Patent Portfolio Over the course of the company's development, Lpath has achieved a broad and deep intellectual-property position in the bioactive-lipid area. The company's comprehensive patent portfolio now includes 18 issued patents (including three international), with 105 patent applications (including 70 international). These patents primarily concern the use of reagents and methods designed to interfere with the actions of bioactive lipids involved in human disease.

Lpath's intellectual-property portfolio includes compositions of matter that specifically bind to sphingolipids and sphingolipid metabolites. These agents, including antibodies, could be used in the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases and disorders, including cardiovascular/cerebrovascular disease, cancer, inflammation, autoimmune disorders, ocular disease and angiogenesis.

Lpath has also obtained issued claims on sphingolipid targets (e.g., receptors and signalling sphingolipids) and methods for using such targets in drug-discovery screening efforts.

The company believes that its patent estate provides broad, commercially significant coverage of antibodies, receptors, enzymes, or other moieties that bind to a lysolipid (or a sphingolipid metabolite) for diagnostic, therapeutic, or screening purposes.

San Diego-based Lpath, a therapeutic antibody company, is the category leader in lipidomics-based therapeutics, an emerging field of medicine that targets bioactive signalling lipids for treating a wide range of human disease.