Amorsa Therapeutics Announces Notice of Allowance for U.S. Patent Covering Deuterated Norketamine and Related Compounds

SOUTHBOROUGH, Mass., Feb. 14, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Amorsa Therapeutics, Inc., a neuropharmaceutical company pioneering the development of breakthrough treatments for nervous system disorders, announced that its patent application for deuterated norketamine and related NMDA receptor modulators was allowed for issuance as a new patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. This patent is set to expire in 2035 and further strengthens Amorsa's intellectual property portfolio, which is wholly owned by the Company. 

Ketamine, currently only FDA-approved for use as an anesthetic, has been shown in several randomized, placebo-controlled trials to produce rapid antidepressant effects in patients with treatment-resistant depression and also be a potent analgesic for moderate-to-severe pain. However, there are several issues currently limiting ketamine's use, including relatively poor pharmacokinetic properties, invasive administration and dissociative side effects.  Amorsa's novel deuterated norketamine compounds are intended to address these limitations and, if approved, would significantly enable the broader adoption of ketamine-based therapeutics.

"This patent covers numerous deuterated analogs of ketamine's primary active metabolite, norketamine. These novel compounds are intended to address serious unmet medical needs in multiple CNS disorders and, as compared to ketamine, reduce the potential for dissociative side effects, extend the duration of action and enable convenient oral administration while still maintaining ketamine's therapeutic benefits," said Joe Blanchard, Amorsa's Chief Executive Officer.  

About Amorsa Therapeutics
Amorsa is a neuropharmaceutical company pioneering the development and commercialization of breakthrough treatments for nervous system disorders including treatment-resistant depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD and moderate-to-severe pain. Founded in 2013, Amorsa has assembled a leadership team with experience in building several successful life science companies and a strong track record in developing novel therapeutic treatments.  In addition, Amorsa has attracted leading neuroscience and pain management experts to join its Scientific and Clinical Advisory Board. For more information, visit www.amorsatx.com. 

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" that involve substantial risks and uncertainties for purposes of the safe harbor provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this press release regarding strategy, future operations, future financial position, future revenue, projected expenses, prospects, plans and objectives of management are forward-looking statements.  In addition, when or if used in this press release, the words "may," "could," "would," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "plan," "predict" and similar expressions and their variants, as they relate to Amorsa may identify forward-looking statements. Examples of forward-looking statements, include, but are not limited to, the approach Amorsa is taking to discover and develop novel deuterated analogs of ketamine's primary active metabolite, norketamine, the uncertainties inherent in the clinical development process, including the outcomes of clinical trials, and the difficulty in predicting the time and cost of development of Amorsa's product candidates. Actual results could differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement as a result of various factors, including, without limitation: the ability of Amorsa to protect its intellectual property rights and legislative, regulatory, political and economic developments

SOURCE Amorsa Therapeutics

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