Transcept Pharmaceuticals, Inc announced that the first patent covering the composition and method of use of Intermezzo (zolpidem tartrate sublingual tablet), the lead Transcept product candidate, has been issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Transcept announced the issuance of a Notice of Allowance for claims under the application for this patent, US Patent Application Serial No. 11/060,641, on December 14, 2009. The newly issued patent, US Patent No. 7,658,945, titled "Compositions for Delivering Hypnotic Agents Across the Oral Mucosa and Methods of Use Thereof," will expire no earlier than February 2025.

Transcept Pharma is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of proprietary products that address important therapeutic needs in neuroscience.