aTyr: EPO okays use of efzofitimod with pirfenidone patent for lung inflammation

aTyr Pharma announced that the European Patent Office, EPO, has provided a Notice of Allowance for a patent covering methods for the use of histidyl-tRNA synthetase HARS Fc fusion proteins for reducing inflammation or fibrosis in the lung. The patent application No. 18 787408.6, titled, "Compositions and methods for treating lung inflammation," covers the use of the company’s lead therapeutic candidate, efzofitimod, in combination with the anti-fibrotic agent pirfenidone. "We are pleased with the EPO Notice of Allowance for this patent covering compositions and methods comprising the use of efzofitimod in combination with pirfenidone, an anti-fibrotic agent currently approved for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis OR IPF , the most fibrotic form of ILD, and being investigated in other forms of progressive fibrosing lung diseases," said Sanjay S. Shukla, M.D., M.S., President and Chief Executive Officer of aTyr. "This patent builds on the preclinical data demonstrating efzofitimod’s potential ability to improve inflammation and fibrosis in models of IPF and other ILD."