Protagenic Therapeutics has secured a significant patent milestone in Japan for its modified stilbenoid program targeting epilepsy treatment. The Japanese Patent Office granted Patent JP 7714571B on July 18, 2025, providing the company with exclusive rights to specific compounds, formulations, and medical applications for treating epilepsy and seizures through March 31, 2041.
Strategic Patent Protection Expansion
The Japanese patent represents a crucial expansion of Protagenic's intellectual property portfolio, building upon the previously granted UK Patent GB2609814 for the same technology. Colin Stott, Chief Operating Officer of Protagenic Therapeutics, emphasized the strategic importance of this development: "We are delighted to announce the grant of this important patent for the Company in Japan. Such a grant builds on the previous grant of the same patent in the UK and demonstrates the ability of the Company to continue its innovative approach and to add value and important protection to its development pipeline for shareholders."
The patent provides comprehensive protection for the company's modified stilbenoid compounds, covering both the chemical entities themselves and their specific formulations designed for epilepsy treatment. This exclusivity positions Protagenic to capitalize on the substantial market opportunity within Japan's pharmaceutical landscape.
Market Opportunity and Growth Potential
Japan represents the world's third-largest pharmaceutical market, valued at more than $85 billion in 2025 and projected to reach $93 billion by 2030. This substantial market size underscores the commercial significance of securing patent protection in this territory for Protagenic's epilepsy-focused drug candidates.
The broader epilepsy treatment market presents compelling growth dynamics globally. The worldwide epilepsy drug market was valued at $11.29 billion in 2024 and is anticipated to expand to approximately $18.74 billion by 2034, representing a compound annual growth rate of 5.20% over the forecast period from 2025 to 2034.
Pipeline Development and Future Expansion
The modified stilbenoid program represents one of Protagenic's key pipeline assets, with the company focusing on novel treatments across multiple therapeutic areas. The successful patent grant in Japan demonstrates the innovative nature of the company's approach to epilepsy treatment and validates the potential clinical utility of these modified stilbenoid compounds.
Protagenic has indicated plans to pursue patent protection in additional territories beyond Japan and the UK, suggesting a comprehensive global intellectual property strategy. This territorial expansion approach could provide the company with broad market exclusivity for its epilepsy treatment candidates across major pharmaceutical markets worldwide.
The patent protection extends until March 31, 2041, providing Protagenic with nearly two decades of market exclusivity in Japan for this therapeutic approach. This extended timeline offers substantial runway for clinical development, regulatory approval processes, and commercial market penetration should the modified stilbenoid candidates prove successful in clinical trials.
