NEW HAVEN, Conn., April 16, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Achillion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:ACHN), a leader in the discovery and development of small molecule drugs to combat the most challenging infectious diseases, today announced that the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office has granted Achillion U.S. Patent No. 7,476,686 related to the Achillion NS4A antagonists to treat the hepatitis C virus (HCV). This new patent, entitled "Substituted Aryl Thioureas and related compounds; inhibitors of viral replication," includes novel mechanism of action claims and expires in 2025.
