SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., - OXiGENE Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing novel cancer therapeutics, announced in a press release that the company has been granted a patent by the European Patent Office related to its current clinical product candidate, OXi4503. The patent (EP 2219451 B1) is drawn to the use of OXi4503 in treating non-solid myeloid neoplasm, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
"We are pleased to be granted this additional patent for OXi4503 in Europe, which builds on similar patents recently issued in Australia and Japan, and further extends the patent protection for this novel therapeutic candidate," said Dai Chaplin.
OXiGENE's President and CEO. "AML is an area of significant unmet need, and we are highly encouraged by the preclinical and early clinical data to date that support the ongoing development of OXi4503 as a potential new option for patients."
OXi4503 (combretastatin A1 di-phosphate) is a dual mechanism vascular disrupting agent that has been observed to block and destroy tumor vasculature, resulting in extensive tumor cell death and necrosis.
Patients with relapsed and refractory AML or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) are currently receiving OXi4503 in a Phase 1 investigator-sponsored study. The study is sponsored in part by The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Therapy Acceleration Program, and is being conducted by researchers at the University of Florida.
OXiGENE is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics to treat cancer. The company is focused on developing vascular disrupting agents (VDAs), which are compounds that selectively disrupt abnormal blood vessels associated with solid tumor survival and progression. The company's lead clinical product candidate, fosbretabulin, is in development as a potential treatment for solid tumors. OXi4503, its second product candidate, is in development for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). OXiGENE is dedicated to leveraging its intellectual property and therapeutic development expertise to
bring life-extending and life-enhancing medicines to patients.