STOCKHOLM, Sweden, October 21, 2026. KDventures AB (publ) (Nasdaq Stockholm: KDV) today announces that its portfolio company Umecrine Cognition AB ("Umecrine Cognition") has received a Notice of Allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for a patent application covering the treatment of symptoms associated with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) with golexanolone. Once issued, the patent is expected to provide protection in the United States until at least 2042.
The patent application covers the treatment of fatigue, cognitive impairment, itching and several additional PBC-related symptoms with golexanolone. Umecrine Cognition estimates that the United States represents approximately 70 percent of the market potential for golexanolone in PBC. The Notice of Allowance therefore represents an important milestone in strengthening the company’s intellectual property position in what it considers its most important commercial market.
Golexanolone is a first-in-class GABAA receptor-modulating steroid antagonist being evaluated for the treatment of clinically significant fatigue and cognitive symptoms in patients with PBC. The Phase 1b/2a study UCAB-CT-05 has completed its final patient follow-up, and results are expected in early November 2026. The study evaluates safety, pharmacokinetics and preliminary efficacy of golexanolone on PBC-related symptoms such as fatigue and cognition.
"The Notice of Allowance further strengthens Umecrine Cognition’s commercial position ahead of the upcoming clinical readout. With the US estimated to represent approximately 70 percent of the market potential for golexanolone in PBC, securing long-term patent protection for the treatment of key PBC symptoms is an important step in protecting the potential value of the program and in preparing for future partnering and commercialization," says Viktor Drvota, CEO of KDventures and Umecrine Cognition.