Fort Worth Startup AyuVis’ First Patent Granted in U.S., Three Other Countries

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AyuVis Research, which is developing a series of immune therapies that can prevent and treat a variety of inflammatory and infectious diseases, has been granted its first composition-of-matter patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

The Fort Worth-based pharmaceutical company is developing a pipeline of small molecule drug candidates to fight infection and inflammation by balancing the body’s natural immune response. AyuVis’ initial focus of its immunotherapy is on protecting preterm babies from their second leading cause of death: A debilitating lung condition called bronchopulmonary dysplasia. The next step for AyuVis’ drug candidate is a first-in-human Phase 1 clinical trial later this year.

David Riley, a neonatologist and AyuVis’ chief medical officer, says in a statement: “The patent is validation of the unique and proprietary mechanism of action of AyuVis’ immunomodulatory compounds. We are eager to demonstrate their efficacy in upcoming clinical trials.”

The patent also has been approved by Canada, South Korea, and Australia, and is under examination in the European Patent Organization, Brazil, Japan, China/Hong Kong, and Mexico. The patent will protect the company’s IP until 2037.

AyuVis has a second patent that is published and under examination in the U.S. and several other countries/regions.

AyuVis continues to conduct research, and provisional patents are filed periodically for new methods of use, formulations, and research data. Three provisional patents were filed during 2021. The patent strategy ensures optimal protection for commercialization, strategic partnerships with other pharmaceutical companies, and licensing its drug candidates.

“After testing the safety of our new drug in the Phase 1 clinical trial, we will progress our lead program in preterm infants with underdeveloped lungs, which are further damaged by mechanical ventilation,” says Dr. Suchi Acharya, the inventor of AyuVis’ patent and the founder and CEO of the company. “Based on preclinical research, these compounds have an excellent safety profile, which is essential when focusing on a pediatric population, and will make reaching our goal in the clinic easier.”

AyuVis is a client company of TechFW, a nonprofit technology business incubator and accelerator in Fort Worth, a portfolio company of the Cowtown Angels, an angel investor network affiliated with TechFW, and a partner with the UNT Health Science Center in its HSC Next incubator program.

To learn more about AyuVis’ immunotherapies, visit www.ayuvis.com.