Artizan Biosciences patents expanded use of drug-discovery platform

PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED Dr. Bridget Martell

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By Liese Klein

New Haven-based Artizan Biosciences announced Tuesday it had secured a patent that broadens the use of its IgA-SEQ platform to identify and treat bacteria that cause inflammatory diseases.

The IgA-SEQ platform enables Artizan to “identify individual bacterial strains and key virulence factors that elicit immunologic dysregulation and promote chronic inflammation,” the company said in a statement.

Using the platform, Artizan develops small-molecule and biologic drugs that disrupt the root causes of pathological inflammatory cascades. The drugs can be used to treat gastrointestinal, metabolic, autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases, and certain cancers.

The new patent, No. 11,299,790, issued to Yale University and licensed exclusively by Artizan, allows for expanded use of the platform.

Artizan’s President and CEO Dr. Bridget Martell said, “The award of this additional patent provides ongoing protections for our proprietary IgA-SEQ platform… it expands the possibilities to leverage our unique technology and expand our portfolio for treatment of immune-driven inflammatory diseases.”

Artizan’s lead drug candidate, ARZC-001, is advancing toward clinical trials this year, Martell said. ARZC-001 is an oral treatment for inflammatory bowel disease. The company is also developing a drug for Parkinson’s disease in collaboration with Biohaven Therapeutics.

Contact Liese Klein at lklein@newhavenbiz.com.