(RTTNews) – The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued a notice of allowance for Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s (VNDA) PONVORY (ponesimod) patent application, covering methods for reducing clinical management events before or during the treatment of multiple sclerosis and methods for reinitiating treatment after missed doses.

When issued, this patent is anticipated to expire on October 10, 2042.

Vanda said it intends to list this patent in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration publication Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations, commonly known as the Orange Book.

Vanda acquired rights to U.S. and Canadian rights to PONVORY from Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd, a Johnson & Johnson Company.

PONVORY is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Health Canada to treat adults with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis, to include clinically isolated syndrome, relapsing-remitting disease and active secondary progressive disease.