MediciNova Receives Notice of Allowance for New Patent Covering MN-166 (ibudilast) for the Treatment of Chlorine-Induced Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

LA JOLLA, Calif., May 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MediciNova, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company traded on the NASDAQ Global Market (NASDAQ:MNOV) and the Standard Market of the Tokyo Stock Exchange (Code Number: 4875), today announced that it has received a Notice of Allowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a pending patent application which covers MN-166 (ibudilast) for the treatment of chlorine-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

Once issued, this patent is expected to expire no earlier than January 2042. The allowed claims cover the use of MN-166 (ibudilast) for treating chlorine-induced ARDS. The allowed claims cover the use of MN-166 (ibudilast) as a monotherapy or as a combination therapy with one or more other drugs. The allowed claims cover oral administration, intravenous administration, subcutaneous injection, intramuscular injection, and inhalation administration. The allowed claims cover a wide range of doses of MN-166 (ibudilast), a range of different dosing frequencies, and a range of different treatment periods.

Kazuko Matsuda, MD, PhD, MPH, Chief Medical Officer of MediciNova, Inc., commented, "We are very pleased to receive notice of this new patent allowance and we believe it could increase the potential value of MN-166. The potential efficacy of MN-166 for the treatment of chlorine-induced ARDS was recently demonstrated in a nonclinical model study of chlorine-induced lung damage in which MN-166 demonstrated a large and significant improvement in pulmonary function and a higher survival rate.”

About MN-166 (ibudilast)

MN-166 (ibudilast) is a small molecule compound that inhibits phosphodiesterase type-4 (PDE4) and inflammatory cytokines, including macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF). It is in late-stage clinical development for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), progressive MS (multiple sclerosis), and DCM (degenerative cervical myelopathy); and is also in development for glioblastoma, Long COVID, CIPN (chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy), and substance use disorder. In addition, MN-166 (ibudilast) was evaluated in patients that are at risk for developing acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).