Biotech company BioSenic (Euronext Brussels/Paris:BIOS) announced on Friday that it has filed a continuation patent application in the United States to protect the use of arsenic trioxide (ATO) for the prevention and treatment of sepsis syndrome.

This would strengthen BioSenic subsidiary Medsenic's ATO platform targeting the "cytokine storm" in various infections.

The patent covers two main areas of immediate application: immune- and autoimmune-related diseases, including chronic GvHD, systemic sclerosis and systemic lupus erythematosus, and oncology, including acute promyelocytic leukaemia.

BioSenic's long-term goal is to seek market access approvals for its various formulations, optimising the original properties of arsenic salts, alone or in combination.