EPIX Pharmaceuticals gets patent for EP-2104R

By Jennifer Chiou

New York, Feb. 13 - EPIX Pharmaceuticals, Inc. said that it received U.S. Patent No. 6,991,775 for EP-2104R, its investigational fibrin-binding imaging agent in phase 2a trials.

The patent, titled "Peptide-based Multimeric Targeted Contrast Agents," is a composition-of-matter patent, covering a large family of peptides and peptide derivatives that bind with high specificity to fibrin, a protein found in blood clots.

The Cambridge, Mass., developer of pharmaceuticals for magnetic resonance imaging also announced it completed proof-of-concept studies for its anticoagulant therapeutic program with mixed results. In the animal studies, the company said one model demonstrated strongly positive results and one model generated significantly less positive data.

EPIX added it intends to pursue the licensing of the technology to a larger therapeutic company for further development.

In the tests, EPIX said it used a proprietary molecule derived from its patented technology and attached it to the direct thrombin inhibitor melagatran, the active form of Exanta.

"The completion of the therapeutic proof-of-concept study enhances our efforts to create value through the licensing of our technology and other business development activities," interim chief executive officer Michael Astrue said in a news release.

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