Firebrick Pharma (ASX:FRE) has announced that its patent covering Nasodine Nasal Spray as a treatment and preventative for the common cold has been granted in Singapore.
The company said this brings the number of countries where what it describes as its 'core patent' has been granted to 27, including Australia, the US, the UK and Europe. The patent is still pending in Canada and Japan.
The company said the pending application in China has been withdrawn, following a recent assessment of the likelihood and costs of gaining any commercially-useful protection in that market.
The Nasodine patent, which Firebrick said expires in most countries in 2035, is titled, 'Treatment and prevention of the common cold using povidone-iodine'. It protects the intranasal use of povidone-iodine (in any form) for the treatment or prevention of the common cold. Granted claims include treating and preventing colds, reducing the viral load of common cold viruses, prevention of secondary complications of colds, and reducing the risk of serious complications in at-risk populations.