SAN DIEGO - Orexigen Therapeutics Inc. announced in a Monday press release that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued a patent for what the company refers to as the "Weber/Cowley methods patent" (US Patent No. 7,462,626), which provides coverage for Contrave, the company's lead obesity product candidate now in Phase 3 clinical trials.

The patent broadly covers methods of treating obesity with combinations of bupropion and naltrexone, the two active agents in Contrave.

It is a companion to the Weber/Cowley composition patent (US Patent No. 7,375,111) which was issued by the USPTO in May 2008 and broadly covers sustained release (SR) compositions of bupropion and naltrexone combined in a single dosage form.

The Weber/Cowley methods patent will provide protection for Contrave through mid 2024.

Contrave is an investigational oral weight loss medication with a mechanism of action that works at two levels within the central nervous system: one that controls the balance of food intake and metabolism and another which controls food preference and cravings (also known as the reward center).

Orexigen Therapeutics Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of obesity.

From:AGIPNEWS