Iconovo receives new patent in Japan for its ICOone® inhaler platform

Iconovo AB (publ), which develops complete inhalation products for a global market, today announces that the Japanese Patent Office (JPO) has issued a Notice of Allowance for yet another patent pertaining to ICOone® – an innovative inhaler platform that enables easy and cost-effective administration of vaccines and biologics. Iconovo is already running several development projects based on ICOone®, one of which is financially supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

ICOone® is Iconovo's inhaler platform for easy and cost-effective administration of vaccines and biologics. Since ICOone® can be loaded with the active substance in the form of a dry powder, there is no need for expensive and complicated cold storage. It also avoids the handling of disposable syringes and used needles that can spread blood contamination.

Today's announcement means that ICOone® will be protected by two patents on the Japanese market. The now pre-approved patent is valid until 2038. The inhaler is also patent protected in Sweden, the rest of Europe (EPO), India, China and the US.

"This patent further strengthens the exclusivity protection for Iconovo's unique disposable inhaler ICOone. The inhaler's extremely low manufacturing cost and simple and discreet handling make it very attractive, especially in the Japanese market," says Dr. Orest Lastow, Chief Technology Officer at Iconovo.

Iconovo's latest collaboration project based on ICOone® was established in July 2022 together with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and aims to develop new inhalation treatments for the next virus pandemic. Since earlier, Iconovo is engaged in a collaboration with Monash University, with the support of Janssen Pharmaceuticals, on a preventive treatment of postpartum bleeding based on the drug substance oxytocin. Iconovo is also collaborating with the Swedish pharmaceutical company Arcede to develop a completely new drug treatment for COPD and asthma, and with Immune System Regulation to develop an inhalable COVID-19 vaccine.

About ICOone®
ICOone is a unique, patented dry powder inhaler for single use. The inhaler comes with an ultra-low manufacturing cost thanks to the smart design which also makes it easy and intuitive to use. It is particularly suitable for short-term treatment and as-needed use. ICOone can deliver large doses to the lungs and protects the powder formulation against moisture, an important factor for many biological drugs and vaccines. The simple design also enables patients and caregivers to learn how to handle the inhalers with minimal training.