Galectin Therapeutics Granted US Patent Allowance for GR-MD-02 to Treat Pulmonary Fibrosis

Galectin Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:GALT) has received a Notice of Allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for patent application number 13/999,389, titled “Method for Treatment of Pulmonary Fibrosis.”
According to the company:

When issued, the patent will extend coverage of the Company’s lead compound, GR-MD-02, to treat patients at risk of pulmonary fibrosis. In pulmonary fibrosis, scars are formed in the lung tissue, which leads to serious breathing problems. This patent allowance covers the treatment of primary lung fibrosis, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, as well as secondary lung fibrotic disease.

According to Peter G. Traber, M.D., chief executive officer and chief medical officer of Galectin Therapeutics and inventor on the patent”

Scientific evidence shows that Galectin-3 plays a role in pulmonary fibrosis and we have shown that GR-MD-02 is effective in reducing fibrosis in preclinical models of lung fibrosis. There are currently no effective treatments for this disease, and particularly for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, an orphan indication. When issued, this patent will augment our current intellectual property portfolio for treatment of organ fibrosis, and we look forward to opportunities to leverage this towards a more efficacious treatment in lung fibrotic disease.

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