Viralytics Ltd Strengthens US Patent Portfolio

30 March 2009, Sydney: Viralytics Limited (ASX: VLA) has been granted a key patent by US authorities covering the use of Echoviruses (including EVATAKTM) for the treatment of all cancers expressing the integrin a2b1 molecule.

EVATAK™ is the trade name for Viralytics’ proprietary formulation of the Echovirus Type 1 (EV1). EV1 attach to the outside of cells, using a specific ‘receptor’ on the cell’s surface (like a key fitting a lock). EV1 uses the receptor, integrin a2b1 to bind and infect target cells. Types of cancer cells that express high levels of the integrin a2b1 molecule on their surface include ovarian, prostate and gastric cancers.

Professor Darren Shafren (Chief Scientific Officer and inventor of the technology) said, “The granting of this US patent significantly increases Viralytics’ intellectual property portfolio, which already includes both US and European patents for a subset of Coxsackie A group viruses including CAVATAKTM, our lead product. ”

The US patent provides Viralytics protection over the exclusive use of integrin a2b1–binding Echoviruses, including EVATAKTM in the US until 2023.

The granted US patent (Patent No. 7,485,292) is entitled: “METHOD OF TREATING A MALIGNANCY IN A SUBJECT VIA DIRECT PICORNAVIRAL-MEDIATED ONCOLYSIS”.

About Viralytics Ltd.

Viralytics is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX code: VLA), Viralytics ADR trades under VRACY on the OTC market in the USA. Viralytics’ principal asset is the intellectual property relating to CAVATAK™, an Oncolytic Virus technology. CAVATAK™ is the trade name for Viralytics’ proprietary formulation of the Coxsackievirus Type A21 (CVA21). EVATAK™ is the trade name for Viralytics’ proprietary formulation of the Echovirus Type 1 (EV1). CVA21 and EV1 are viruses that occur naturally in the community. CVA21 and EV1 attach to the outside of cells, using a specific ‘receptor’ on the cell’s surface (like a key fitting a lock). CVA21 uses the receptors, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and/or decay accelerating factor (DAF) to bind and infect target cells. Both of these receptor proteins have been demonstrated to be highly expressed on multiple cancer types, including: melanoma, prostate cancer, breast cancer, multiple myeloma and others. EV1 uses the receptor, integrin a2b1 to bind and infect target cells. Integrin a2b1 has been demonstrated to be highly expressed on multiple cancer types, including: prostate cancer, ovarian cancer and others.

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