Galmed Pharmaceuticals Ltd. announced the allowance of a Japanese patent related to treatment of pulmonary and dermal fibrosis. A similar patent was already granted in Mexico. The approval of the patent in the US and the rest of the world is pending.

With this latest patent, Galmed is strengthening and extending the patent protection of its lead compound, Aramchol, until November 2037. Previously, Galmed reported results showing significant anti-fibrotic effects of Aramchol in a pre-clinical model of lung fibrosis. Treatment with Aramchol resulted in statistically significant fibrosis improvement in a validated bleomycin model of lung fibrosis (IPF), comparable to Pirfenidone which is the gold standard treatment.

Findings were seen across all important indicators for the severity of fibrosis including hydroxyproline (a marker for collagen deposition in the fibrotic tissue) P< 0.05, Ashcroft score P < 0.005, % CPA (Percentage Collagen Proportionate Area of the lung) P < 0.001, and immunohistochemistry (type I collagen and a SMA) P < 0.005 for both staining.