The European Patent Office has issued a notice of intention to Nuvo Research Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company to grant a patent that provides protection for the company’s Pennsaid two per cent product. Upon grant by the European Patent Office, the patent can be officially validated in over 37 European countries.

Pennsaid two per cent is protected by issued patents in the United States expiring April 21, 2028 and in New Zealand, South Africa and the Russian Federation with an expiration date of October 17, 2027. Patent applications covering Pennsaid two per cent are currently pending in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Japan and Mexico and have an anticipated expiry date of October 17, 2027.

The Company is currently in discussions with potential marketing partners interested in licensing Pennsaid and/or Pennsaid two per cent for Europe, Russia, China, the Middle East, Asia and Australia.

“We are very pleased with the progress we are making to secure worldwide patent protection for our next generation topical NSAID, Pennsaid two per cent,” said Tina Loucaides, Nuvo’s vice-president and general counsel. “This expanding patent portfolio supports our efforts to secure international licensing partners for Pennsaid two per cent and additional sources of revenue for Nuvo.”

Pennsaid two per cent is a topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) containing two per cent diclofenac sodium compared to 1.5% for original Pennsaid.  It is more viscous than original Pennsaid, is supplied in a metered dose pump bottle and was studied in clinical trials using twice daily dosing compared to four times a day for original Pennsaid.

Nuvo is a publicly traded, Canadian specialty pharmaceutical company, and building a portfolio of products for the treatment of pain through internal research and development.