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Lorus Therapeutics Announces Issuance of Patent for Anticancer Drug LOR-253 in Canada

20-Mar-2012 | Source : | Visits : 7968
TORONTO - Lorus Therapeutics Inc. (TSX: LOR) (“Lorus”), a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the discovery, research and development of pharmaceutical products and technologies for the management of cancer, today announced in a press release that the Canadian Patent Office has issued Lorus’ patent for its lead small molecule anticancer drug LOR-253. The patent provides Lorus with exclusive rights to LOR-253 in Canada until 2026.

The Canadian patent covers LOR-253 composition of matter and its use in the treatment of a wide range of cancers, including non-small cell lung, colon, breast, and prostate tumors, as well as melanoma and leukemia. Patents with similar protection for LOR-253 have also been issued in Australia and are pending in other major jurisdictions.

“Lorus is committed to obtaining strong patent protection for LOR-253 in major markets,” said Dr. Aiping Young, Lorus' President and CEO. “This new patent gives us long-term protection for LOR-253 in Canada, and we consider it to be a valuable asset in our expanding IP portfolio for this novel cancer therapy.”

LOR-253 is in a Phase I clinical study in patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumors who are unresponsive to conventional therapy or for which no effective therapy is available. The main objectives of the study include assessing the safety profile and antitumor activity of LOR-253, as well as determining the recommended Phase II dose for subsequent clinical trials. The clinical study is being conducted at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.

LOR-253 represents a new class of anticancer agent, which we believe may offer a competitive advantage over classical drugs. This drug candidate has shown selective and potent antitumor activity in preclinical investigations with a variety of human cancers, including colon cancer and non-small cell lung cancer, and has demonstrated an excellent therapeutic window due to its low toxicity. LOR-253 is a
first-in-class small molecule that has been optimized to inhibit the novel cancer target Metal-Responsive Transcription Factor 1 (MTF-1). MTF-1 is overexpressed in selective cancer indications, and its downregulation by LOR-253 results in induction of the novel tumor suppressor Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4), leading to the downregulation of cyclin D1, an important regulator of cell cycle progression and cell proliferation. MTF-1 downregulation also results in decreased expression of genes
involved in the adaptation of tumors to hypoxia (low oxygen content) and angiogenesis. Increased angiogenesis and alterations in the cyclin D1 regulatory pathway have been linked to the development of cancer.
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