Drug Delivery System Patent Includes 40 Tumor Suppressors

A patent licensed exclusively to Introgen Therapeutics, Inc. (Austin, TX, USA), has been granted by the European Patent Office (EPO). The patent protects Introgen's non-viral delivery platform for delivering one or more of almost 40 tumor suppressor genes for inducing apoptosis (programmed cell death) in cancer cells.

The patent, EP1180016B1, is titled "Methods and Compositions for Non-Viral Gene Therapy for the Treatment of Hyperproliferative Diseases.” This patent is one of a family of patents issued to the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, TX, USA) and licensed to Introgen Therapeutics.

Dr. David L. Parker, Introgen's senior vice president of Intellectual Property said, "This patent is of particular importance in that it provides protection for the systemic delivery of tumor suppressor genes such as p53, mda-7, and numerous others, by using synthetic nanoparticles. This approach has shown promise, for example, in our INGN 401 program, in which the FUS-1 tumor-suppressor gene is administered intravenously to patients with metastatic lung cancers. Introgen's nanoparticle programs are further enhanced by its recently acquired nanoplex technologies, which enable the systemic delivery of a variety of proteins, peptides, and polypeptides.”

Introgen's programs in this area are in various stages of development. INGN 401 (nanoparticle-FUS-1) is in phase 1 studies. Nanoparticle-mda7 (INGN 403) has demonstrated in preclinical studies that the therapy results in strong anti-cancer effects and systemic tumor growth inhibition in an animal model of metastatic lung cancer.

Introgen Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of targeted molecular therapies for the treatment of cancer and other diseases. Introgen holds license agreements with M.D. Anderson Cancer Center to commercialize products based on licensed technologies, and has the option to license future technologies under sponsored research agreements.



Related Links:
Introgen Therapeutics
University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center