Griffon Pharmaceuticals secures exclusive patent license with U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
The VA Technology Transfer Program facilitates the commercialization of VA inventions.
Grants worldwide rights to develop and commercialize patent-pending secretin receptor modulators for treating metabolic liver diseases.
MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA, October 12, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Quebec-based Griffon Pharmaceuticals has negotiated an exclusive patent license agreement with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.The deal, which was finalized on July 14, 2021, through Griffon’s office in Epalinges, Switzerland, grants Griffon worldwide rights to develop and commercialize the VA’s patent-pending secretin receptor modulators, invented by Drs. Gianfranco Alpini, Shannon Glaser, and Fanyin Meng.
The modulators show promise in the treatment of metabolic liver diseases, including Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC) and Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC), orphan indications for which there is no established treatment.
“We are developing a portfolio of compounds in metabolic and non-viral liver diseases and are very happy to have added the secretin technology to our portfolio,” said John Huss, CEO of Griffon Pharmaceuticals.
The biopharma company was founded in 2015 by Huss and Dr. Krishna Peri to develop GP119, a differentiated, first-in-class bifunctional GRF-VIP analog for the treatment of Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis, as well as the treatment of excess visceral fat in HIV+ patients with lipodystrophy.
Peri and Huss both have over 30 years of experience in pharma/biotech/academics and have put together a Board of Directors, including Dr. Marc Cluzel, former executive vice-president for global R&D at Sanofi, and Robert Blain, CEO of Lune Rouge and former CFO of the Cirque du Soleil.
The patent license agreement was facilitated by Stefan Susta of the VA’s Technology Transfer Program and Jonathan Baker of TechLink, the VA’s partnership intermediary for technology transfer.
Griffon Pharmaceuticals previously raised capital during a seed round. It is now preparing a second round of investment to finance pre-clinical studies and human clinical trials.
Troy Carter
TechLink
+1 406-539-4829
troy.carter@montana.edu
