AlphaOne Pharmaceuticals Acquires Rights to Alpha 1-Antitrypsin Patents

AlphaOne Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Alameda, Calif.) announced this week that they have acquired worldwide patent rights for alpha 1-antitrypsin (AAT) for use in inflammation.

Under the terms of the license agreement, AlphaOne will develop and commercialize recombinant AAT in exchange for upfront payments and royalties to Protease Sciences Inc. of Tempe, Ariz. The agreement covers worldwide rights for all indications for which this protein may be developed, including emphysema, asthma, cystic fibrosis, atopic dermatitis and psoriasis.

Up to 200,000 individuals in the United States and Europe may suffer from hereditary emphysema, which results frequently in severe morbidity and reduction in lifespan. Hereditary emphysema is treated with infused plasma-derived AAT. Currently, however, less than 10 percent of the worldwide market is being met by the plasma-derived product. The disease is marked by inflammation of the lung, excess proteolytic tissue degradation, and breathing difficulties. Emphysema caused by cigarette smoking and air pollution is also being treated by this method.

The treatment of asthma, cystic fibrosis and atopic dermatitis by AAT therapy is also under development, with estimated potential revenues in excess of $2 billion annually. According to AlphaOne, various studies worldwide have demonstrated AAT's efficacy in each of these indications.

"AAT is a proven safe and effective treatment for a multiplicity of what are currently inadequately treated diseases," said AlphaOne's President/C00, Philip J. Barr, Ph.D. "We are very pleased to have received exclusive licenses from Protease Sciences, and we look forward to developing each indication."