JW Pharmaceutical’s anti-gout drug URC102 received certification from the European Patent Office (EPO) as a source technology.

JW Pharmaceutical has acquired a patent for its anti-gout drug URC102 ) as a source technology from the European Patent Office (EPO).
JW Pharmaceutical has acquired a patent for its anti-gout drug URC102 ) as a source technology from the European Patent Office (EPO).

The patent is the company’s method to prepare a compound that works as the main ingredient and intermediate of URC102. URC102, developed as a new oral drug, inhibits uric acid transporter-1 (URAT1) and is effective for gout patients caused by abnormally elevated uric acid levels in the blood, JW Pharm said.

The company licensed out the rights to develop and commercialize URC102 in China, including Hong Kong and Macau, to China’s Nanjing Simcere Dongyuan Pharmaceutical in 2019. In addition, it is pursuing global technology transfer based on the results of phase 2 clinical trials conducted in Korea.

With the recent EPO’s decision, JW Pharmaceutical plans to take steps for necessary procedures to fully acquire the patent in major European countries in the future.

“We are making progress in obtaining the patent for the technology of URC102 without any setback, and we will continue to develop URC102 as a global gout drug with high safety and excellent efficacy,” a JW Pharmaceutical official said.

The company registered the technology in Australia in 2020 and the Republic of South Africa in April. It also applied for patents in 20 countries, including Korea, the U.S., Japan, and China.

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