Melodia Therapeutics Announces U.S. Patent Grant Covering MLD-151

BASEL, Switzerland, Feb. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Melodia Therapeutics AG today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted a key U.S. patent covering a structurally novel DPP1 (Cathepsin C) inhibitor, currently developed as MLD-151 by Melodia Therapeutics and discovered by its partner, Alivexis, Inc., strengthening the intellectual property foundation supporting Melodia's lead development program.

The newly issued patent (U.S. Patent No. 12,522,593; International Application No. PCT/JP2023/021735), entitled "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 commercialize the program.

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

Importantly, the structural distinction from Brinsupri® (brensocatib, INSMED) in this DPP1 inhibitor class provides robust positioning for MLD-151 outside of a crowded intellectual property landscape where follow-on close structural analogs of brensocatib may face patent-related constraints.

DPP1 is the master regulator of neutrophil serine protease activation, a pathway strongly implicated in tissue damage across multiple chronic inflammatory conditions. By potently and selectively inhibiting DPP1, MLD-151 is designed to suppress excessive neutrophil-mediated tissue destruction while preserving key antimicrobial functions.

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

"We are pleased to see this important U.S. patent granted, further strengthening the intellectual property supporting our lead program," said Jonathan Talbot, CEO of Melodia Therapeutics. "We believe the novel chemotype discovered by our partner Alivexis positions the program uniquely within an increasingly competitive DPP1 inhibitor landscape."

About Melodia Therapeutics AG

Melodia Therapeutics AG is a clinical-stage biotechnology company based in Basel, Switzerland, focused on developing innovative therapies targeting neutrophil-driven inflammatory diseases.

About Alivexis, Inc.

Alivexis, Inc. is a Tokyo-based drug discovery company leveraging advanced network-based technologies to identify and develop novel therapeutic candidates. Alivexis discovered the DPP1 inhibitor licensed to Melodia and continues to collaborate on the advancement of the program.

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SOURCE Melodia Therapeutics AG