Kiora Pharmaceuticals granted US and European patents for local ocular delivery of the KIO-100 family of compounds

(Image Credit: AdobeStock/Olivier Le Moal)

Kiora Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced it has been granted US and European Patents covering local ocular delivery of the KIO-100 family of non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory small molecules.

According to the company, this intellectual property (IP) further protects Kiora's pipeline by covering multiple small molecule analogs, delivery methods, and several inflammatory-related therapeutic applications, including posterior non-infectious uveitis, thereby extending market exclusivity for approved indications in the US and Europe.

Moreover, with the patents issued, Kiora and any potential partners could more confidently move forward with the development and commercialization of its KIO-100 family of compounds in combination with optimal delivery routes and formulations. In posterior non-infectious uveitis, the company's KIO-104 product demonstrated promising results in a Phase 1b clinical study demonstrating decreased retinal inflammation in a dose dependent fashion and significantly improved visual acuity compared to historical controls treated with steroids or Humira.

Brian Strem, PhD, president and CEO of Kiora, explained that the patents are a testament to the strength of the company’s R&D efforts and the importance of drug delivery.

“This milestone further strengthens the potential commercial position of KIO-104, as a safe and potent steroid-sparring approach,” Strem said in the news release. “This third-generation DHODH inhibitor is a more potent molecule belonging to a validated class of FDA-approved anti-inflammatory drugs already benefitting tens of thousands of multiple sclerosis patients a year. KIO-104 could similarly provide benefit for patients in retinal inflammatory diseases like posterior non-infectious uveitis."

Left untreated, posterior non-infectious uveitis, an autoimmune disease highlighted by inflammation of the retina, choroid, vitreous, or optic nerve, can result in severe vision loss.

According to the company’s news release, Kiora's anti-inflammatory platform, which includes KIO-104, encompasses a family of small molecules that selectively and potently inhibit the enzyme DHODH. By inhibiting DHODH locally, these small molecules have the potential to significantly limit the deleterious inflammatory effects in the retina arising from autoimmune diseases.