Motif Bio plc (AIM: MTFB) (NASDAQ: MTFB) has received a Notice of Allowance from the US Patent and Trademark Office, the biopharmaceutical company revealed on Wednesday.

The two new patents relate to the use of iclaprim to treat patients with bacterial infections, including acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections, hospital-acquired bacterial pneumonia and Staphylococcus aureus lung infections in patients with cystic fibrosis.

These patents give Motif Bio additional exclusivity for iclaprim in the treatment of bacterial infections through to November 2037.

Iclaprim is a novel investigational antibiotic with a targeted Gram-positive spectrum of activity. According to Motif Bio, in contrast to commonly used broad-spectrum antibiotics, this 'precision medicine' approach is consistent with antibiotic stewardship principles which, among other things, seek to reduce the inappropriate use of broad-spectrum products to avoid the build-up of resistance and to lessen the impact on the microbiome of the patient.