NEWS!!
WPD Pharmaceuticals Licensor Granted Another Key Patent for the Development of WPD101 Drug Candidate
Vancouver, British Columbia – May 28, 2020 – WPD Pharmaceuticals Inc. (CSE: WBIO)(FSE: 8SV1) (the “Company” or “WPD”), a clinical stage pharmaceutical company, is pleased to announce that on May 21, 2020 Wake Forest University received a patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) for a patent titled “EphA3 and Multi-Valent Targeting of Tumors” (under application number 15/958,608). The patent is exclusively licensed to WPD, and the patent relates to the WPD101 drug candidate, used in the therapy of glioblastoma multiform (“GBM”).
Mariusz Olejniczak, CEO of WPD commented, “We are very excited to receive another patent included in the license agreement with Wake Forest University. This patent covers EPHA3 and multi-valent targeting of tumors and provides an additional layer of protection for our IP in the development of drug candidate WPD101. It is especially helpful for the development of our glioma product but also for other tumor fighting drugs we are developing.”
Cancer cells, including GBM tumor cells that are highly resistant to all known therapies, express tumor specific receptors, IL-13RA2 and EphA2. WPD Pharmaceuticals’ patented solution is based on the use of therapy targeting IL-13RA2 and EphA2 receptors by
genetically modified IL-13 and Ephrin1 proteins, conjugated to Pseudomonas and Diphtheria bacteria toxins. Recombinant IL-13 and Ephrin1 proteins armed with potent bacteria toxins preferentially bind to GBM tumor-specific receptors and deliver highly cytotoxic payload. This highly specific targeting of GBM cells should allow for selective elimination of tumor cells by bacteria-toxins-induced cytotoxic effects without affecting normal cells. In order to move to Phase 1 clinical trials in humans, WPD will need to finish the manufacturing for the development of the drug delivery formulation, expected to be completed within approximately one year.
Within the WP 101,102,103 portfolio of drug candidates, WPD and its licensors have 40 patents issued or filed in key territories including the US, Canada, and EU.
