Shaperon announced Friday that it has received a notice of allowance for a South Korean patent covering NuPulin, its oral drug candidate for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).
The company said the approval strengthens its global intellectual property portfolio following the recent grant of a European patent, which provides protection through 2043. Shaperon also plans to pursue an evergreen patent strategy by filing additional patents covering salt forms, crystal forms, formulations, and manufacturing processes.
According to the company, NuPulin demonstrated superior anti-fibrotic activity compared with currently available therapies in preclinical animal models.
Shaperon said the candidate reduced collagen deposition by approximately 60%, roughly double the effect observed with existing treatments. It also showed improvements in fibrosis-related biomarkers, including reductions in α-SMA and fibronectin, as well as improved Ashcroft scores, a commonly used measure of lung fibrosis severity.
The company added that forced vital capacity (FVC), the primary efficacy endpoint in clinical trials for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, is an objective measurement obtained using standardized medical devices. Because the influence of rescue medications on FVC is relatively limited, Shaperon believes NuPulin may have a greater likelihood of achieving statistically significant results in a Phase 2 clinical trial.
NuPulin is an oral drug candidate designed to inhibit inflammasome activation, a mechanism distinct from current standard therapies. The company is developing it as either a combination treatment for patients who do not respond adequately to first-line therapy or as a second-line treatment option.
A Shaperon representative said the company confirmed the safety and pharmacokinetic profile of the oral formulation in a Phase 1 clinical trial completed last year and is actively pursuing licensing and co-development discussions with global pharmaceutical companies.
Shaperon is a biotechnology company focused on immune-modulating therapeutics. Its development pipeline includes NuGel for atopic dermatitis, NuCerin for Alzheimer’s disease, NuPulin for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, NuSepin for COVID-19, NuAretin for alopecia areata, NuBeshin for obesity, and NuPilimab, an investigational immuno-oncology therapy.