Palatin Technologies, Inc. announced that the US Patent and Trademark Office issued US Patent No. 7,964,181, titled “Amino Acid Surrogates for Peptidic Constructs.” The claims in the issued patent cover a series of small molecule mimics for naturally occurring amino acids which can be used as building blocks in drug development. A small molecule mimic claimed in the issued patent is used in making PL-3994, Palatin’s lead peptide mimetic natriuretic peptide receptor A agonist, which is in development for treatment of acute exacerbations of asthma, heart failure and refractory or difficult-to-control hypertension.

“The small molecule mimetics we have developed should help in the commercialization of peptide-based drugs,” said Carl Spana, Ph.D., Palatin’s president and CEO. “Compounds such as our PL-3994 which use small molecule mimetics have extended half-lives, and are resistant to normal clearance mechanisms. This results in a drug candidate that is very potent and has a pharmacological effect much longer than is typically seen with peptides.”

PL-3994 and the related family of compounds were discovered and developed by Palatin scientists and are solely owned by Palatin. In addition to this issued US patent, Palatin has a US patent on the PL-3994 composition of matter, and pending applications or issued patents in selected countries outside the United States.

PL-3994 is a natriuretic peptide receptor A (NPR-A) agonist compound in development for treatment of acute exacerbations of asthma, heart failure and refractory hypertension. PL-3994 activates NPR-A, a receptor known to play a role in cardiovascular homeostasis. PL-3994, one of a number of natriuretic peptide receptor agonist compounds Palatin has developed, is a synthetic molecule incorporating a novel and proprietary amino acid mimetic structure. It has an extended half-life, with reduced affinity for the endogenous natriuretic peptide clearance receptor and significantly increased resistance to neutral endopeptidase, an endogenous enzyme that degrades natriuretic peptides.

Acute exacerbations of asthma, also called acute severe asthma, is an ongoing asthma episode in which asthma symptoms do not adequately respond to initial bronchodilator or corticosteroid therapy. Palatin has an IND application with an approved clinical trial protocol for a proof-of-concept human trial for asthma using a subcutaneously administered formulation of PL-3994. Palatin has also commenced development of an inhalation formulation of PL-3994.

Palatin Technologies, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing targeted, receptor-specific small molecule and peptide therapeutics.