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Relief Therapeutics Holding SA, a biopharmaceutical company committed to delivering innovative treatment options for select specialty, unmet and rare diseases reported that the European Patent Office (EPO) has issued a Notice of Allowance under Rule 71(3) EPC for Relief’s patent application No. 20737588.2, titled “Therapeutic Uses of Oxidizing Hypotonic Acid Solutions.” This Notice of Allowance signifies the EPO’s intention to grant a patent covering Relief’s proprietary, highly pure hypochlorous acid solutions, including its investigational drug RLF-TD011 intended for the treatment of wounds caused by epidermolysis bullosa (EB).
Upon completion of the grant procedure, the patent will protect RLF-TD011 in key European countries until 2040. Corresponding applications in other major markets, including the US and China, are currently under review. RLF-TD011 previously received orphan drug designation (ODD) from the US Food and Drug Administration for EB, providing potential incentives such as market exclusivity upon approval.
Giorgio Reiner, chief scientific officer of Relief, said: “We are very pleased with this news. The anticipated grant of this patent represents an additional validation of our efforts to develop novel treatments for rare and devastating diseases like EB. This patent will strengthen the protection of our innovation as we continue advancing RLF-TD011’s development, with the ultimate goal of reaching patients who need it most.”
RLF-TD011 is a highly pure, stabilized hypochlorous acid solution developed using Relief's proprietary TEHCLO technology. With strong antimicrobial properties, RLF-TD011 is a sprayable, self-administered solution for targeted wound application while avoiding skin contact and cross-contamination. RLF-TD011 has shown efficacy in accelerating wound closure and reducing infections in certain clinical trials on non-EB wounds. In preliminary cases, EB patients using RLF-TD011 showed improvements in blistering and tissue repair. Currently under clinical development, RLF-TD011 has the potential to offer an innovative solution for EB wound care management. The US Food and Drug Administration granted it orphan drug designation for EB, and Relief plans to seek qualified infectious disease product (QIDP) designation for extended market exclusivity.
Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a group of rare, inherited connective tissue disorders characterized by extreme skin fragility, leading to blistering and wounds from minor friction or injury. In severe cases, blisters can develop into chronic wounds or form in internal organs such as the mouth or esophagus. EB affects approximately 1 in 20,000 births in the United States, while the global prevalence of epidermolysis bullosa simplex (EBS) ranges from 1 in 85,000 to 1 in 500,000.
Relief is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to advancing treatment paradigms and delivering improvements in efficacy, safety, and convenience to benefit the lives of patients living with select specialty and rare diseases.
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