Prescient Therapeutics (ASX: PTX) has received a notice of allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for a new patent covering methods for using a specific biomarker to stratify breast cancer patients and identify those most likely to respond to treatment with its anti-cancer compound PTX-100. Once granted, the patent is expected to be valid until 2031.
Prescient previously in-licensed the p27 biomarker from the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center for use as a companion diagnostic with PTX-100, on the basis that patients with low levels of p27 would be more likely to respond positively to treatment with PTX-100.
Prescient Therapeutics CEO and Managing Director Steven Yatomi-Clarke said the allowance of this patent for a biomarker is in keeping with the company’s personalised medicine approach to identify the right treatment for the right patient.
“Accordingly, it is another step in building out a deep product pipeline of personalised targeted therapies and tools for clinicians treating patients with cancer.
“The patent is another important addition to Prescient’s strong intellectual property portfolio and further enhances protection of PTX-100 and its potential use in the treatment of breast cancer.”
Mr Yatomi-Clarke said PTX-100 is a first in class compound with the ability to block an important cancer growth enzyme. It works by disrupting oncogenic Ras pathways by inhibiting the activation of Rho, Rac and Ral circuits in cancer cells, leading to apoptosis (death) of cancer cells. Prescient believes that PTX-100 is the only RhoA inhibitor in the world in clinical development.
PTX-100 is currently being investigated in a PK/PD basket study of hematological and solid malignancies, focusing on cancers predisposed to Ras and RhoA mutations. A previous Phase 1 trial in advanced solid tumors showed PTX-100 was well-tolerated and helped achieved a stabilisation of disease in patients.
Prescient Therapeutics is a clinical stage oncology company developing personalised medicine approaches to cancer, including targeted and cellular therapies.