YAVNE, Israel, Dec. 20, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MediWound Ltd. (Nasdaq: MDWD ), a fully-integrated biopharmaceutical company bringing innovative therapies to address unmet needs in severe burn and wound management, announces that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued patent Number 9,511,126 with claims related to the Company’s proprietary injectable bromelain solution, MWPC003, for enzymatic treatment of connective tissue diseases.
The new patent, titled “Proteolytic Extract from Bromelain for the Treatment of Connective Tissue Disorders,” provides broad protection for MWPC003 in the treatment of a variety of connective tissue diseases, such as Dupuytren’s contracture, Peyronie’s disease and scar treatment, among others.
MWPC003 is an investigational sterile injectable solution containing a mixture of the same pharmaceutical-grade proteolytic enzymes used in MediWound’s NexoBrid ® , which is approved in Europe and other geographies for burn debridement.
“We are particularly encouraged by the expanding role of our proprietary proteolytic enzymes as a treatment for a variety of connective tissue disorders. This U.S. patent further bolters our intellectual property position and provides us with additional opportunities to build upon and/or monetize this core asset,” noted Gal Cohen, President and Chief Executive Officer of MediWound.
“Minimally invasive treatments have advantages over traditional surgical methods and are in line with the general medical trend of less invasiveness and increased convenience. The scientific rationale for MWPC003 to treat connective tissue disorders is based on its proteolytic properties, which allow it to dissolve the pathological contracture tissue even when using very low doses, and the potential of the reported anti-inflammatory/immunomodulatory activity of bromelain to reduce the high recurrence rate. We are encouraged by the potential for MWPC003 as a therapeutic for connective tissue disorders and look forward to filing an Investigational New Drug (IND) application for MWPC003 for the treatment of connective tissue disorders and to embarking on a clinical development program for this exciting opportunity,” added Mr. Cohen.
About MediWound Ltd.
MediWound is a fully-integrated biopharmaceutical company focused on developing, manufacturing and commercializing novel therapeutics based on its patented proteolytic enzyme technology to address unmet needs in the fields of severe burns, chronic and other hard-to-heal wounds. MediWound’s first innovative biopharmaceutical product, NexoBrid, received marketing authorization from the European Medicines Agency as well as the Israeli and Argentinian Ministries of Health, for removal of dead or damaged tissue, known as eschar, in adults with deep partial and full-thickness thermal burns and was launched in Europe and Israel, with plans for a launch in Argentina. NexoBrid represents a new paradigm in burn care management, and clinical trials have demonstrated, with statistical significance, its ability to non-surgically and rapidly remove the eschar earlier and, without harming viable tissues.
MediWound's second innovative product, EscharEx ® is a topical biological drug being developed for debridement of chronic and other hard-to-heal wounds and is complementary to the large number of existing wound healing products, which require a clean wound bed in order to heal the wound. EscharEx ® contains the same proteolytic enzyme technology as NexoBrid ® , and benefits from the wealth of existing development data on NexoBrid ® . In two Phase 2 studies, EscharEx ® has demonstrated safety and efficacy in the debridement of chronic and other hard-to-heal wounds, within a few daily applications. For more information, please visit www.mediwound.com .
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the US Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts, such as statements regarding assumptions and results related to the regulatory authorizations and launch dates. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “believe,” “may,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “should,” “plan,” “expect,” “predict,” “potential,” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on MediWound’s current knowledge and its present beliefs and expectations regarding possible future events and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of several factors. In particular, you should consider the risks discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in our annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2015 and information contained in other documents filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee that future results, levels of activity, performance and events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements will be achieved or will occur. The forward-looking statements made herein speak only as of the date of this announcement and MediWound undertakes no obligation to update publicly such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances, except as otherwise required by law.
Contacts: Anne Marie Fields Sharon Malka Senior Vice President Chief Financial and Operations Officer LHA MediWound 212-838-3777 ir@mediwound.co.il afields@lhai.com
