USPTO issues notice of allowance for Windtree’s SERCA2A activators

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued a notice of allowance for Windtree Therapeutics’ patent application covering a group of SERCA2A [a key protein in the cycle of heart failure] activators with a dual mechanism.

The company stated that the family of drug candidates of SERCA2a activators has similar mechanisms of action to those of istaroxime, a first-in-class dual mechanism therapy.

It might therefore lead to the development of new therapies to treat heart failure.

Dual mechanism SERCA2a activators work by inhibiting the Na+/K+ pump [an enzyme found in the membrane of all animal cells] and activating SERCA2a.

Windtree Therapeutics noted that these product candidates are intended to be both oral and IV therapies.

They might represent both an outpatient, oral therapy for chronic heart failure and hospital discharge, and an inpatient therapy for the treatment of acute decompensated heart failure.

In April 2023, the dual mechanism SERCA2a activator class of drug candidates received a patent from the European Patent Office.

Windtree Therapeutics CEO and president Craig Fraser stated: “We are pleased to see the continued progress of our IP portfolio strategy for the dual mechanism SERCA2a activator family of drug candidates.

“The development strategy with these dual mechanism compounds is for potential ‘fast follow-on’ drug candidates that can leverage the experience with istaroxime and provide the potential added feature of oral bioavailability for use as a treatment for chronic heart failure.

“This composition of matter patent represents a key part of our plan for these assets and we look forward to the next step in the process from the USPTO.”