Vedanta Biosciences has announced that the Opposition Division of the European Patent Office has upheld Vedanta’s foundational patent EP2575835 (the “Honda patent”), strengthening its intellectual property position in a key area of microbiome therapeutics.
The upheld patent claims broadly cover compositions of clostridial bacterial species for use in infectious and allergic disease.
The Honda patent was opposed by Seres Therapeutics Inc., Nestec SA (a subsidiary of Nestlé SA) and four anonymous parties. Minor formal claim amendments were entered during the oral proceedings.
The patent is now issued in major commercial markets, including the United States, Europe, and Japan.
Live biotherapeutic products
The patent is based on groundbreaking work by Vedanta's co-founder, Dr Kenya Honda, in identifying bacteria that induce significant immune responses.
Clostridial bacterial species are abundant in the gut and are of high interest for use in the development of live biotherapeutic products designed to colonise and modulate a patient’s microbiome to therapeutic effect.
The Honda patent is exclusively licensed to Vedanta under an agreement with the University of Tokyo and provides coverage through at least 2031.
Development and commercialisation
Headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Vedanta is a clinical-stage company developing a new category of therapies for immune-mediated diseases based on rationally-defined consortia of human microbiome-derived bacteria.
The Honda patent, together with additional Vedanta patents, provide the company with a leading IP position in the microbiome field.
“We welcome this decision, which affirms our belief that Dr Honda’s breakthrough discoveries form the basis for a critical, foundational patent estate for the development and commercialisation of human microbiome drugs based on live bacteria,” said Bernat Olle, PhD, Vedanta CEO.
Vedanta’s patents support the company’s therapeutic candidates for the treatment of autoimmune diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), food allergy, and infectious diseases.
The company's portfolio contains 20 US patents and numerous foreign issuances with coverage extending to 2037.
