Shinpoong Pharmaceutical said Tuesday that it received a decision from the European Patent Office (EPO) to grant a patent for Pyramax (pyronaridine phosphate-artesunate), which was approved for treating malaria last Friday.

The patent is titled “Pharmaceutical Composition for Preventing or Treating Epidemic RNA Viral Infectious Disease.”

The new use patent for Pyramax covers artemisinin derivatives, including pyronaridine or artesunate, and combinations thereof.

Shinpoong Pharm said the patent recognizes the drug's efficacy against various coronavirus respiratory infections, including Covid-19, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).

In March, Shinpoong Pharm also registered a patent for the same composition in China for Covid-19 and MERS infections. In July 2023, the company registered a patent for the same composition for pandemic RNA virus infections in 17 countries under the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI).

“We believe that the European patent achievement of Pyramax is a recognition of the novelty and progressiveness of Pyramax's treatment of coronavirus disease, securing the foundation for global rights,” Shinpoong Pharmaceutical CEO Yoo Je-man said. “Based on the clinical results that are being finalized, we will discuss the possibility of expanding indications with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to help patients who are still suffering from coronavirus disease, and we will do our best to make practical contributions to the response to the global health crisis through continuous research.”