Emalex has secured a US patent for an orally disintegrating ecopipam tablet as its Tourette expanded access program grows.

Emalex Biosciences has received a US patent covering an orally disintegrating tablet formulation of ecopipam, its investigational D1 receptor antagonist being developed for Tourette syndrome.

The patent covers a new formulation of ecopipam designed as an orally disintegrating tablet, a dosage form that may help patients who have difficulty swallowing conventional tablets.

The announcement comes as the company expands patient access to ecopipam through a US Expanded Access Program enrolling up to 200 patients.

Emalex said the programme is intended for eligible Tourette syndrome patients who have exhausted approved treatment options or experienced treatment failure, tolerability issues, safety concerns or lack of access to available medicines.

Current approved and commonly used treatments can include dopamine receptor antagonists such as aripiprazole, haloperidol and pimozide, but many patients continue to face side effects or inadequate symptom control.

Eric Messner, chief executive officer, Emalex Biosciences, said: “Developing alternative dosage forms is a long-term effort that matters because how a medicine is delivered can be as important to patients as the medicine itself.

“This issued patent reflects our formulation approach supporting the ODT program, while our Expanded Access Program underscores our commitment to patients.”

The company said it plans to progress the ODT programme through process development, scale-up, cGMP manufacturing, stability studies and a first-in-human pharmacokinetic study targeted for late 2026 or early 2027.

That clinical work is expected to compare low-dose ODT versions with the immediate-release tablet while also assessing tolerability and palatability.

Tourette syndrome is a chronic neurodevelopmental condition that begins in childhood and is characterised by motor and vocal tics. Symptoms can affect education, employment and social functioning, while treatment options remain limited for some patients.

The latest update suggests Emalex is pursuing both near-term patient access and longer-term lifecycle development for ecopipam as it continues regulatory and clinical planning.