Iconovo is a Lund company with expertise in inhalers and dry powder formulations. The company has developed four inhalation platforms – ICOone, ICOcap, ICOres and ICOpre.
In March a patent was approved for ICOone in India and now Iconovo announces that the US Patent Office, United States Patent and Trademark Office, intends to approve a patent for ICOone. Iconovo's CTO and founder Orest Lastow commented on the significance of the new patent:
»The new patent is a confirmation that ICOone is a very unique and innovative inhaler. With approved patents in the US, EU and India, we now have very strong protection in markets with a great need for simple and cost-effective vaccination « – Dr. Orest Lastow, CTO at Iconovo
Exciting vaccine possibilities
The approved patent in the US is not the only positive news for ICOone during the month of April. At the beginning of the month, Iconovo entered into a cooperation w/ ISR Immune System Regulation for the development of a COVID-19 inhalation vaccine in ICOone. The inhaler is intended for single use and has a very low manufacturing cost, which makes it ideal for this purpose.
In addition, there are several advantages of vaccines in dry powder form, such as simpler vaccination and cheaper and more convenient transport/storage without the requirement for low temperatures. With inhaled vaccines, the handling of disposable syringes and used needles that can spread blood contamination is also avoided. The simple and user-friendly design means that healthcare professionals, but also patients, can learn to handle the inhaler with minimal training.
Oxytocin for postpartum hemorrhage
The patent for ICOone in the US will also provide intellectual property protection for the use of the inhaled oxytocin inhaler for postpartum haemorrhage (PPH). The drug product is currently being developed for an initial clinical trial together with Monash UniversityIn 2019, over 3,7 one million children in the US, which means that there is a large market potential for inhaled oxytocin for PPH in the country.
Iconovo also has patent applications pending for ICOone in China and Japan, two large and important markets. With the first US patent for ICOone in place, Iconovo continues its work to strengthen patent protection for its inhalation products in important markets.
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