Poxel SA, a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of innovative drugs to treat type 2 diabetes, announced that the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted the patent (US patent number US-9,284,329) filed by Poxel covering direct AMPK activators. This patent includes Poxel’s second lead product candidate PXL770 for the treatment of type 2 diabetes as well as other indications. PXL770 is a first-in-class product candidate and is currently in a phase 1 trial.

AMPK, or adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase, is a well established sensor and regulator of cellular energy homeostasis and plays an important role in liver metabolism, which is implicated in type 2 diabetes. Poxel presented promising preclinical results for PXL770 at the World Congress on Insulin Resistance, Diabetes and Cardiovascular Diseases in Los Angeles in November 2015, in which an improvement in glycemic control and lipid profile was observed. A phase 1 trial is underway with the aim of evaluating safety, pharmacokinetics, target engagement and efficacy biomarkers. Preliminary results from this study are expected to be available in the second half of 2016.

“This addition to our IP portfolio is an important step forward for our second lead product candidate, PXL770, and further strengthens our position with respect to type 2 diabetes,” said Thomas Kuhn, CEO of Poxel. “We believe that AMPK activation is an important mechanism for the treatment of metabolic disorders, such as type 2 diabetes, and we are focused on advancing our PXL770 programme to benefit patients.”

The patent includes 10 claims covering the new AMPK activating compounds, the compositions containing them as well as the potential indications, and is valid through 2033. With the addition of this new patent, Poxel has broadened its overall patent portfolio to include 39 patent families worldwide.

PXL770 directly activates adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), an enzyme that acts as an energy sensor and regulator, maintaining cellular homeostasis, thus playing an important role in the management of diabetes. In addition to its anti-diabetic properties, PXL770 has the potential to treat lipid-related abnormalities, which are present in a vast majority of diabetic patients and are the cause of cardiovascular incidents among this population.