Viralytics broadens IP portfolio

07-Nov-2008 - USA

Viralytics Limited has received a Notice of Allowance from the United States Patent Office for its patent application covering the use of Echoviruses (including EVATAKTM) for the treatment of all cancers bearing Expression of the integrin a2b1. EVATAKTM is the trade name for Viralytics’ proprietary formulation of the Echovirus Type 1.

Examples of cancers expressing high surface levels of the integrin a2b1 are ovarian and prostate cancer. The USA patent when granted will provide Viralytics protection over the exclusive use in the US of integrin a2b1–binding Echoviruses including EVATAKTM until 2023.

A Notice of Allowance is formal advice (publicly available) that the US Patent Office has completed its final examination of the patent application and now intends to issue a patent subject to the completion of administrative matters.

Professor Darren Shafren (Chief Scientist Officer and inventor of the technology) said, “Numerous cancers have elevated surface levels of integrin a2b1. The presence of integrin a2b1 allows our family of echoviruses to lock onto the surface of cancer cells, leading to rapid infection and cellular destruction. The patent, when granted, also covers the right to use EVATAKTM in conjunction with other oncolytic viruses such as the Company’s lead product CAVATAKTM.”

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