• Composition-of-matter patent covers the therapeutic use of arsenic salts and metal ions through various routes of administration.
• Enriched IP portfolio protects arsenic trioxide (ATO) use combined with copper ions delivery, which has demonstrated increased therapeutic potential for indications ranging from immune to cancer and infectious diseases.

– BioSenic (Euronext Brussels and Paris: BIOS), the clinical-stage company specializing in serious autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, today announces the granting of a key patent by the Japan Patent Office to expand protection of the arsenic trioxide (ATO) platform. The patent, titled “Use of metal ions to potentiate the therapeutic effects of arsenic,” covers the use of ATO platform in combination with metal ions such as copper. This combination has shown the ability to significantly improve the treatment of autoimmune diseases and could be applied to the treatment of various forms of cancer conditions and infectious pathologies related to cytokine storms. Similar protection had been granted in Europe and Australia last year, together with a first patent acceptance in China, which opened the doors for further divisional applications in addition to the primary decision limited to graft-versus-host disease (GvHD).

BioSenic is exploring the therapeutic use of ATO for several indications. The company has recently published peer-reviewed data from several preclinical studies elucidating ATO’s mechanisms for modulating immune responses, and the ability of certain metal ions to enhance this therapeutic potential. The actual growing portfolio of intellectual property rights is part of a strategy to build dense and meaningful protection for its lead product, paving the way for clinical and commercial developments by BioSenic and interested partners, particularly in the field of autoimmunity.

The new patent, granted to BioSenic’s subsidiary company Medsenic, involves two main immediate areas of application. The first one is in immune- and autoimmune-related diseases – specifically, the BioSenic’s lead project in 2024, chronic GvHD and, later, systemic sclerosis and systemic lupus erythematosus. The second is in oncology, where ATO has already demonstrated exceptional results for patients, including complete remission in acute promyelocytic leukaemia. These patents will support BioSenic’s plans for international clinical trials in pathologies with unmet medical needs, toward the company’s long-term goal of seeking market access approvals for its various formulations, optimizing the original properties of arsenic salts – alone or in combination.

François Rieger, PhD, Chairman and CEO of BioSenic said: “This newly granted regional patent for Japan further consolidates our intellectual property rights on the formulations and compositions of matter related to the first-in-class properties of arsenic salts, which we find to generally reorient organisms toward normal function and homeostasis in various cells and organs. We are happy to open new chapters in the continuous, worldwide effort in trying to control chronic or lethal diseases with no real cure.”

The expected availability of an oral formulation that combines arsenic and copper puts BioSenic in a unique position to build on clinical successes in its fields of applications. As a result, BioSenic will be able to continue clinical development with proprietary original formulations containing arsenic and new active ingredients such as metal ions, increasing the potency of its products, and minimizing secondary side effects.

The Japanese patent, corresponding to Application 2021-569115 filed on May 20, 2020, is now granted to Medsenic, a subsidiary of BioSenic. Similar regional patents on the same subject were granted by European Union Intellectual Property Office (EP3972613) in April 2023, by China National Intellectual Property Administration in August 2023, and by the Australian and Canadian Patent Offices in December 2023.