Closely-held Mati Therapeutics’ international patent portfolio has grown to 114 issued patents, including a recently granted U.S. patent, which covers a drug delivery system for administering an ophthalmic drug through a hydrogel lacrimal implant into one or both tear ducts. The new patent runs until 2027.
Mati is now the only company with exclusive rights to commercially make, use, import or sell its hydrogel ophthalmic drug delivery system in the U.S.
The portfolio, which includes 19 different patent families in the U.S. and across major international markets, protects important elements of Mati’s Evolute punctal plug delivery system for the treatment of ocular indications.
The Evolute platform includes features for retaining the punctal plug within the nasolacrimal system of the eye during drug elution and sustained release formulations currently in development for the treatment of post-operative pain and inflammation. The technology has the potential to be used for multiple disease states with consistent, sustained efficacy.
Mati has completed multiple Phase 2 clinical trials with the Evolute platform and recently announced interim results from a Phase 2 study of nepafenac versus placebo in patients undergoing cataract surgery. Pain scores favored nepafenac over placebo at day 1, day 3, and day 7, following surgery. At day 3, 71% of patients treated with nepafenac experienced no pain versus 12% in the placebo arm. The company expects to initiate a Phase 3 study with nepafenac in 2019.
In a statement, CEO, Bob Butchofsky, said the continued expansion of Mati’s broad intellectual property portfolio, covering the non-invasive drug delivery field for ocular use, is a strategic asset for a small private company such as Mati.
He said the company’s platform technology is under development for a number of indications, including post-operative inflammation and pain, glaucoma and ocular hypertension, ocular allergy, and dry eye.
“We believe our patent portfolio provides Mati with a competitive advantage in an area of growing importance in ophthalmology that will remain in place for many years to come,” he added.
