Shanghai-based NOD Pharmaceuticals Inc. has announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has approved the patent application for its nano-particle oral delivery technology.
NOD technology incorporates peptides or proteins into bio-adhesive nano-particles to enable oral delivery of drugs otherwise administered as injections. It is a platform technology that can be applied to many macromolecular drugs such as insulin, interferon, growth hormones, exenatide, and heparin.
Currently the first candidate developed with NOD technology, an oral insulin formulation, is entering phase I clinical studies in China.
According to William Lee, the CEO of NOD Pharmaceuticals, patent allowance for NOD technology is a major step forward for the company. He added that with this patent, and in combination with others, NOD Pharmaceuticals is building a solid foundation for its intellectual property and core competence..