GRI Bio announces issuance of decision to grant for European patent on GRI-0803

GRI Bio (GRI) announced that European Patent Office has issued a decision to grant notice for patent application number 19,166,502 titled, “Oxygenated Amino- or Ammonium-Containing Sulfonic Acid, Phosphonic Acid and Carboxylic Acid Derivatives and Their Medical Use.” Based on the intention to grant notice, the Company expects the EPO to issue a patent January 16, 2025. The patent claims include coverage of GRI-0803, the Company’s novel activator of human type 2 NKT cells in development for the treatment of autoimmune disorders, with an initial focus on systemic lupus erythematosus. Activation of type 2 NKT leads to a dendritic cell-mediated inhibition of iNKT cells. In the Company’s preclinical studies, type 2 NKT activating molecules, GRI-0803 and GRI-0124, were observed to inhibit both murine and human iNKT cells. Oral administration of these type 2 NKT activating molecules was observed to inhibit lupus nephritis and to significantly improve overall survival. The Company is currently focusing its available resources on GRI-0621, but, pending additional funding, the GRI-0803 IND-enabling and Phase1 program will continue in 2025. The Company is currently advancing the development of its lead program, GRI-0621, in a Phase 2a, randomized, double-blind, multi-center, placebo-controlled, parallel-design, 2-arm study for the treatment of IPF. Interim data from the Phase 2a biomarker study is expected in the first quarter of 2025 and topline results are expected in the second quarter of 2025.