Javelin drug gets European patent

Javelin Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced today that its lead drug candidate will gain an additional 10 years of patent protection with the issuance of a new European patent.

Headquartered in Cambridge, Javelin is focused on developing new "pain-management" drugs; its lead candidate is Dyloject, which aims to decrease the need for morphine and other opioids in treating post-operative pain.

Javelin said today that it has been awarded a new European patent covering 30 European countries; this new patent significantly broadens and extends Javelin's patent protection for Dyloject.

"Issuance of this key European patent represents a significant increase in value for our European Dyloject franchise," David B. Bernstein, Javelin's general counsel, said in a statement.
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)