Benzinga | May 19, 2021 07:31AM EDT

Navidea Biopharmaceuticals Announces Issuance of U.S. Patent for Diagnosis and Treatment of Viral Infections

Navidea Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE:NAVB) ("Navidea" or the "Company"), a company focused on the development of precision immunodiagnostic agents and immunotherapeutics, today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office ("USPTO") issued to Navidea U.S. patent 11,007,272, entitled "Compounds and Methods for Diagnosis and Treatment of Viral Infections," with protection to October 7, 2037.

This patent protects the use of Navidea's mannosylated dextran-based drug delivery vehicles to deliver small molecule therapeutic payloads as possible therapies for a variety of diseases caused by a group of viruses known as flaviviruses. Specific flaviviruses disclosed in the patent include those that cause dengue, yellow fever, and Zika fever. Dengue is a common serious illness in many tropical countries, with an estimated 100-400 million infections per year according to the World Health Organization.

In humans, these flaviviruses replicate extensively, and sometimes nearly exclusively, in CD206+ macrophages. CD206+ macrophages are the primary intended targets of Navidea's mannosylated dextran-based drug delivery vehicles, making them capable of delivering potent drugs to the cells where the virus is multiplying.

Dr. Michael Rosol, Chief Medical Officer for Navidea, said, "Our targeted therapeutics have the potential to address the large unmet medical need caused by flaviviruses given deficiencies in current therapies and/or vaccines." Dr. Rosol continued, "The technology covered in this patent could also have implications for possible treatments of other infectious diseases where our platform might have an impact, including HIV and hepatitis C."

Jed Latkin, Chief Executive Officer for Navidea, said, "I am proud of the work that our chemists have been doing and we continue to move the ball forward and perfect the intellectual property to protect our portfolio for the future."