Amryt secures Japanese patent for its “butterfly children” drug candidate Episalvan, soon kicks off phase III study

Amryt secures Japanese patent for its “butterfly children” drug candidate Episalvan, soon kicks off phase III study

February 7, 2017 Off By Dino Mustafić

Amryt has secured a patent in Japan for its skin disorder drug candidate Episalvan, and it is waiting to kick off the third phase clinical trial by the end of March 2017.

The Japanese Patent Office ensured Amryt’s AP101 candidate to be tested for the treatment of Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), which is a rare genetic skin disorder which causes exceptionally fragile skin, for which there is currently no known cure.

According to Amryt, the drug has already shown faster healing in partial thickness wounds compared to standard therapy.

Furthermore, the patent grant for Amryt’s Episalvan in Japan comes after a grants secured in the US and Europe, Canada, and Australia, all in the previous year. The global EB market is estimated to be worth about €1.3 billion per year.

People born with this disorder are known as “butterfly children” due to extremely fragile skin. There is about half a million people affected by EB in the world, including 65,000 Europeans and Americans.