Intellectual Property Registry opens observations for eight…

The Intellectual Property Registry of Nicaragua has opened the observation period for eight invention patent applications filed by Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Chemo Research, S.L., Shanghai Henlius, Modifi Biosciences, Inc., and Laboratorios Silanes, S.A. de C.V. The notices are published in La Gaceta, Official Gazette No. 189 of Thursday, October 15, 2026, within the Intellectual Property Registry section, and are based on Article 33 of Law No. 354, “Law of Invention Patents, Utility Models, and Industrial Designs.”

The legal framework of the call

The General Directorate of the Intellectual Property Registry, based in Managua, issued the notices between July 24 and September 23, 2026. In each case, the official text states that interested parties may submit observations regarding the application to the Intellectual Property Registry, in accordance with Article 33 of Law No. 354.

The files combine applications submitted between October 2025 and June 2026, with priorities claimed in the United States, the European Patent Office, Mexico, and China. Each notice records the registration number, the amount paid in córdobas, and the registrar’s signature.

The eight files under observation

File 2026-000011 — Modifi Biosciences, Inc. (Rahway, New Jersey): fluoroalkoxyalkylene dihydroimidazo[5,1-d]tetrazinone compounds and related compounds for the treatment of cancer. Filed on 02/04/2026; US priority 63/517,715.
File 2026-000024 — Chemo Research, S.L. (Madrid): applicator for the insertion of implants. Filed on 04/16/2026; EPO and US priorities.
File 2026-000030 — Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC: peptide-conjugated vaccine compositions and methods for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Filed on 05/14/2026.
File 2026-000040 — Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC: indazole derivatives useful as NOD-like receptor protein 3 inhibitors. Filed on 06/11/2026.
File 2026-000041 — Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC: azaindazole derivatives useful as NOD-like receptor protein 3 inhibitors. Filed on 06/11/2026.
File 2026-000042 — Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC: a cyclic IL-1beta trap peptide for the treatment of atherosclerosis and inflammatory disorders. Filed on 06/12/2026.
File 2025-000093 — Laboratorios Silanes, S.A. de C.V. (Mexico City): pharmaceutical composition comprising ticagrelor and acetylsalicylic acid, preparation process, and uses. Filed on 10/14/2025.
File 2025-000097 — Shanghai Henlius Biotech, Inc. and Shanghai Henlius Biologics Co., Ltd.: anti-PDL1 antibody-drug conjugate and use. Filed on 11/06/2025.

Merck concentrates half of the applications

Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, located at 126 East Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey, appears in four of the eight files. Its applications cover two families of NLRP3 inhibitors (2026-000040 and 2026-000041), a peptide-conjugated vaccine against Alzheimer’s (2026-000030), and a cyclic peptide for atherosclerosis and inflammatory disorders (2026-000042).

The company’s legal representation is held by Darliss Marcela Gordon Arana. The corresponding notices were issued on August 20 and September 23, 2026, with records 2026-M3423, 2026-M3420, 2026-M3422, and 2026-M3419.

Foreign priorities and technical fields

The applications invoke priorities in four jurisdictions:

United States: numbers 63/517,715, 63/599,885, 63/610,214, 63/610,235, 63/610,766, 63/672,292, and 18/488,828.
European Patent Office: 24382389.5 and 23383056.1.
Mexico: MX/a/2024/012886.
China: CN202310513959.4 and CN202311311898.X.

The declared technical fields include IPC classifications C07D 487/04, C07K 7/08, A61K 39/00, and A61P 35/00, among others.

Impact for third-party opposers

The opening of observations allows competitors, holders of prior rights, and any interested party to challenge the applications before the Registry rules on the grant. For the regional pharmaceutical industry, the eight files define the map of exclusivities that will be contested in Nicaragua in the coming years.

Source: La Gaceta, Official Gazette, No. 189 of October 15, 2026, Intellectual Property Registry Section, p. 9874 et seq. (official reference: Reg. 2026-M3406, 2026-M3415, 2026-M3418, 2026-M3419, 2026-M3420, 2026-M3421, 2026-M3422, and 2026-M3423).