Swedish pharmaceutical company Medivir AB (STO:MVIR) announced on Tuesday that it has secured a US patent covering the combination of fostroxacitabine bralpamide (fostrox) and lenvatinib for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and liver metastases, extending patent protection until at least January 2044.

The US Patent and Trademark Office granted patent US12788771 with a 1,001-day Patent Term Adjustment to compensate for administrative delays, extending protection by almost three years from the previously communicated April 2041 expiry date.

This patent strengthens Medivir's intellectual property portfolio, complementing previously granted combination patents in the European Union, Japan, Australia and Canada.

Medivir said the extended protection enhances the long-term commercial potential of fostrox in the US market as the combination is being evaluated in the randomised Phase 2 FLEX-HCC study.