Aurinia Pharmaceuticals has filed a patent for using voclosporin to treat or prevent coronavirus infection in immunosuppressed individuals. The method involves administering a therapeutically effective amount of voclosporin to the subject. GlobalData’s report on Aurinia Pharmaceuticals gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s company profile on Aurinia Pharmaceuticals, cyclosporin derivatives was a key innovation area identified from patents. Aurinia Pharmaceuticals's grant share as of June 2023 was 1%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
Method of using voclosporin to treat or prevent coronavirus infection
A recently filed patent (Publication Number: US20230183293A1) describes a method for treating or preventing virus infections in a subject by administering voclosporin. The method is particularly useful for subjects in need of immunosuppression. The virus infection is ameliorated by inhibiting cyclophilin A (CypA) or a CypA associated pathway. The patent specifically mentions that the method is effective against viruses belonging to the Coronaviridae family, including alphacoronaviruses, betacoronaviruses, deltacoronaviruses, and gammacoronaviruses. Notably, the method is effective against Human coronavirus OC43 (HCoV-OC43), Human coronavirus HKU1 (HCoV-HKU1), Human coronavirus 229E (HCoV-229E), Human coronavirus NL63 (HCoV-NL63), Middle East respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (MERS-CoV), Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), and Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
The patent claims also specify the therapeutically effective amount of voclosporin to be administered, ranging from about 0.1 mg/kg/day to about 2 mg/kg/day. Alternatively, specific dosages are mentioned, such as 7.9 mg BID, 15.8 mg BID, 23.7 mg BID, 31.6 mg BID, 39.5 mg BID, 47.4 mg BID, or 55.3 BID, or 7.9 mg QD, 15.8 mg QD, 23.7 mg QD, 31.6 mg QD, 39.5 mg QD, 47.4 mg QD, 55.3 mg QD, 63.2 mg QD, 71.1 mg QD, 79.0 mg QD, 86.9 mg QD, 94.8 mg QD, 102.7 mg QD, or 110.6 mg QD. The therapeutically effective amount can achieve a concentration between about 0.05 µM and about 10 µM, or specific concentrations within this range.
The patent also includes a method for monitoring the renal function of the subject during treatment. This involves assessing the estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) at different time points and adjusting the dosage of voclosporin based on the decrease in eGFR. The predetermined value for reducing the dosage or stopping the administration of voclosporin is about 50 to about 90 ml/min/1.73 m2, with a specific value of about 60 ml/min/1.73 m2. The target percentage decrease in eGFR is about 20% to about 45%, with a specific value of about 20%.
The method described in the patent is applicable to subjects with autoimmune diseases or conditions associated with transplant rejection, particularly kidney transplant rejection. The administration of voclosporin can be done without the need for mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and/or a corticosteroid, although these can also be administered in combination with voclosporin if desired. The patent also covers various methods of administering voclosporin, including enteral, oral, sublingual, rectal, parenteral, intravenous injection, intramuscular injection, subcutaneous injection, intravenous infusion, inhalation, and insufflation. Voclosporin can be administered in the form of a pharmaceutical composition containing one or more pharmaceutically acceptable excipients, such as alcohol, D-a-tocopherol (vitamin E), polyethylene glycol succinate (TPGS), polysorbate 20 (Tween 20), polysorbate 40 (Tween 40), medium-chain triglycerides, gelatin, sorbitol, glycerin, iron oxide yellow, iron oxide red, titanium dioxide, and water.
Overall, this patent describes a method for treating or preventing virus infections, particularly those caused by coronaviruses, using voclosporin. The method includes specific dosages, monitoring of renal function, and various modes of administration.
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GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies
