Biopharmaceutical company Chelsea Therapeutics International Ltd. today announced it has received allowance from the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) for its patent application “Threo-DOPS Controlled Release Formulation.” This marks the second major milestone for the company’s intellectual patent portfolio this year.

The new claim relates to certain oral, controlled release formations of Northera™, the company’s lead investigational agent for the treatment of symptomatic neurogenic orthostatic hypotension (NOH) in patients with primary autonomic failure, which includes Parkinson’s disease, multiple system atrophy (MSA) and pure autonomic failure (PAF).

The patent offers protection for a once-a-day Northera from date of issuance through the year 2026. This extends the company’s current seven-year marketing exclusivity via its orphan designation in the U.S.

“This patent allowance notice from the USPTO provides key support for the intellectual property protection we are building for Northera,” Dr. Simon Pedder, president and CEO of Chelsea Therapeutics stated in the press release. “This latest patent could provide significant growth opportunities for Chelsea, as we investigate additional, potential therapeutic applications of Northera which is currently under review at the FDA for the treatment of symptomatic, neurogenic orthostatic hypotension and has a PDUFA date of March 28, 2012.”

In August 2011, the USPTO awarded the company a patent claim titled “Droxidopa and pharmaceutical composition thereof for the treatment of fibromyalgia” for methods of pain reduction in patients with fibromyalgia.

For more information visit: www.chelseatherapeutics.com

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