Oncoceutics announced that the USPTO issued patent #9,845,324, providing the company with composition of matter protection for ONC212 and several additional small molecules derived from Oncoceutics’ lead compound ONC201.
Philadelphia, PA (December 19, 2017) – Oncoceutics announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued patent #9,845,324, providing the company with composition of matter protection for ONC212 and several additional small molecules derived from Oncoceutics’ lead compound ONC201. ONC212 is one of the lead follow-on compounds in the company’s development pipeline and is being developed in collaboration with the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. In addition to covering ONC212, the new patent covers more than one million compounds structurally related to ONC212.
The issuance of this patent, combined with the previously issued composition of matter patent for ONC206, another compound in advanced preclinical development, plus the previously issued use, combination and formulation patents covering lead compound ONC201, provides the company with an extensive portfolio of intellectual property.
All of the Oncoceutics’ compounds, referred to as “imipridones”, share a novel three-ring core structure. This chemical structure enables these molecules to target G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), a family of membrane receptors that are largely untapped therapeutic targets in oncology. The company’s imipridone portfolio covers millions of potential compounds. The three furthest along in clinical development are described below:
- ONC201, an antagonist of the GPCR dopamine receptor D2 (DRD2), is in Phase II clinical trials for select advanced cancers such as high-grade gliomas where patients treated with the compound have demonstrated tumor regressions.
- ONC206, DRD2 with a differentiated way of interacting with the receptor is being developed in collaboration with several investigators at the National Institutes of Health with the goal of filing an Investigational New Drug application (IND) in 2018. ONC206 has exhibited compelling preclinical anti-cancer activity, in both in vitro and in vivo studies, in several neuro-oncology and neuroendocrine tumors.
- ONC212, in collaboration with the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. ONC212 has shown significant in vivo anti-cancer activity in acute leukemia and pancreatic cancer in addition to a number of cancer types measured in a panel of over 1,000 human cancer cell lines evaluated at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center in collaboration with the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute.
“We are pleased to have been awarded a U.S. Patent for the composition of matter of ONC212 and related novel compounds,” said Martin Stogniew, PhD, Chief Development Officer of Oncoceutics. “Coverage of these compounds adds to Oncoceutics’ already extensive patent portfolio and provides us with robust protection for our GPCR targeting imipridone family.”
About Oncoceutics
Oncoceutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage drug discovery and development company with a novel class of compounds that selectively target G protein-coupled receptors for oncology. The first lead compound to result from this program is ONC201, an orally active DRD2 small molecule antagonist that is well-tolerated and effective against advanced cancers. The company recently completed a successful Phase I study in solid tumors and has begun additional Phase I/II and Phase II clinical programs in both solid and hematological malignancies. Oncoceutics and collaborative groups have received significant grants over the last two years, from institutions such as the National Cancer Institute, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Pennsylvania Department of Health, and The Musella Foundation. In addition, outside interest in the company’s portfolio has resulted in several R&D alliance agreements and collaborations between Oncoceutics and leading cancer research institutions, including The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, the NIH/NCI, Harvard and the Fox Chase Cancer Center. The company has established a robust intellectual property position, including several issued patents.
