Lorus Therapeutics Announces Allowance Of New United States Patent For Its Anticancer Drug LOR-2040
Toronto, Canada - Lorus Therapeutics Inc. ("Lorus"), a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the research and development of pharmaceutical products and technologies for the management of cancer, recently announced the allowance of a new patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office for its clinical-stage anticancer drug LOR-2040.
The patent, which was issued this month as U.S. Patent No. 7,405,205, protects methods of treating leukemia with LOR-2040, both alone and in combination with chemotherapy drugs. The patent also covers methods of treating specific solid cancers with LOR-2040, including colon, lung, breast, and bladder cancers. LOR-2040 composition as well as its design and use as a unique anticancer drug is currently protected in the U.S. under a separate patent issued in 1999.
LOR-2040 is being tested in two separate clinical studies in leukemia indications. In 2008, Lorus initiated an advanced Phase II clinical study with LOR-2040 in combination with high dose cytarabine (HiDAC) in patients less than 60 years of age with relapsed or refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). LOR-2040 is also under study as a single agent in a Phase I clinical trial in acute leukemias and high-grade myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), which is sponsored by the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (CTEP) under a Clinical Trials Agreement with Lorus.
LOR-2040 has shown significant anticancer activity and low toxicity in a variety of human tumor types in preclinical studies. In a recently completed proof-of-concept clinical trial, patients with relapsed or refractory AML showed a 35% complete response rate, accumulation of LOR-2040 in tumor cells, and down regulation of its biochemical target following treatment with LOR-2040 in combination with HiDAC.
"Leukemia remains a primary focus for LOR-2040 development and future commercialization," said Dr. Aiping Young, Lorus' President and CEO. "This newly issued U.S. patent adds additional strength to our global IP position for this drug, and supports the potential development in other cancers in a major market."
SOURCE: Lorus Therapeutics Inc.