Melodia Therapeutics AG, a clinical-stage biotechnology company based in Switzerland, announced on Wednesday that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted a key a key patent covering a structurally novel DPP1 (Cathepsin C) inhibitor, currently developed as MLD-151 by Melodia Therapeutics and discovered by its partner, Alivexis Inc.

This strengthens the intellectual property foundation supporting Melodia's lead development program.

The newly issued US Patent No. 12,522,593, titled 'Azacycloalkyl Carbonyl Cyclic Amine Compound', is held by Alivexis Inc and Astellas Pharma Inc and covers a proprietary compound series that Melodia licensed in June 2024 exclusively and on a global basis to develop, manufacture, and commercialise the program.

MLD-151 is based on a structurally distinct chemotype that is clearly differentiated from earlier DPP1 inhibitors built on dipeptidyl nitrile scaffolds. It was designed to enable differentiated pharmacology, including the potential for optimised potency, selectivity, and tissue distribution. Melodia believes these features support a best-in-class profile across multiple neutrophil-driven inflammatory diseases.

Melodia is currently advancing MLD-151 toward IND submission, with plans to initiate Phase 1/Phase 2a clinical studies in diseases driven by excessive neutrophil activation.