PTO to issue Acorda patent
Acorda Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:ACOR) said the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office allowed a patent application on the composition of multiple sclerosis (MS) drug Ampyra dalfampridine. The application, No. 11/010,828, covers methods to improve walking in patients with MS by administering 10 mg sustained-release 4-aminopyridine. Once issued, the patent would expire in 2026. Ampyra had sales of $133.1 million in 2010.
Acorda was off $0.31 to $27.99 on Tuesday. The stock is still up 31% since last Wednesday, before media reports surfaced that Ampyra may receive additional patent protection. Ampyra's current patents expire in 2011 and 2013. The drug also has Orphan Drug marketing exclusivity until Jan. 22, 2017 (see BioCentury Extra, April 14). ...