Defence Therapeutics has achieved a significant milestone with the granting of US patent no. 11,890,350 (‘350) by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for its revolutionary AccuTOX® technology.
The successful granting of the ‘350 patent for the leading Canadian biopharmaceutical company’s AccuTOX® technology marks a significant stride in its quest to revolutionise cancer treatment.
The patent represents the fourth granted US patent in Defence’s ever-growing patent portfolio, which currently includes seven published patent families.
Sébastien Plouffe, CEO and President of Defence Therapeutics, emphasised the significance of the ‘350 patent: “The rapid granting of the broad ‘350 patent by the USPTO affirms the innovative and groundbreaking potential of AccuTOX® as a leading cancer therapeutic, and also importantly provides a long patent runway and period of market exclusivity for Defence to fully explore the commercial potential of the AccuTOX® platform and maximise the benefit to our partners and investors.”
AccuTOX®: Transforming cancer treatment
The AccuTOX® platform is rooted in the discovery that certain bile acid-peptide conjugates induce cancer cell death by triggering heightened metabolic stress and the production of reactive oxygen species.
The ‘350 patent showcases that bile acid-peptide conjugates, when administered at concentrations surpassing cytotoxic thresholds, have the potent capability to trigger cell death in various tumour cell types in vitro, such as lung, breast, colon, melanoma, and lymphoma cancer cells.
Furthermore, these conjugates exhibit a significant reduction in lymphoma tumour volumes and improved survival rates in treated mice compared to control groups in vivo.
Scope of the ‘350 patent
Defence’s ‘350 patent encompasses broad claims, covering a range of AccuTOX® molecules with cytotoxic or cytostatic properties, whether used alone or in conjunction with other therapies.
The granted claims extend to AccuTOX® molecules that are conjugated to various carrier molecules, such as cancer-specific antibodies.
This innovative approach positions AccuTOX® as a cytotoxic agent within a potentially groundbreaking class of next-generation antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs).
Building upon the findings presented in the ‘350 patent, pre-clinical and GLP studies have been conducted to evaluate AccuTOX®, both independently and in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors like anti-PD-1 and anti-LAG3.
These studies, utilising rodent and canine models, have demonstrated the compound’s safety and tolerability while also showcasing significant reductions in solid tumor growth.
As a result, Defence has obtained FDA approval to initiate a Phase I clinical trial. This trial aims to assess the efficacy of AccuTOX® when administered intratumorally, both as a standalone therapy and in combination with Opdualag, in patients with unresectable stage IIIB to IV melanoma that is refractory to or has relapsed from standard treatment protocols.
The granting of the patent represents a significant milestone for Defence Therapeutics and the field of cancer therapeutics as a whole. With AccuTOX® at the forefront of innovation, Defence continues its mission to transform cancer treatment and improve patient outcomes.
