OncoRx Pharma Announces Issuance Of Third Patent For Controlling Resistant Tumors

EVANSTON, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--OncoRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is announcing that U.S. Patent No. 9,198,916 has issued covering its drugs for the treatment of therapy-resistant malignant tumors. The Company is developing its proprietary drugs for the treatment of invasive high-grade gliomas and drug-resistant tumors that rapidly recur in patients in spite of continued therapy and that readily metastasize to the brain.

Published research studies suggest that upregulation of the compromised phosphatase PTEN tumor suppressor, downregulation of the activated PI3k/Akt pathway, and inhibition of angiogenesis through avß3 and a4ß1 integrin-mediated oncogenic pathways are critical events for the successful treatment of glioblastoma tumors. Recent glioblastoma clinical trials with targeted kinase inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies suggest that their lack of clinical efficacy is due to limited oncogenic pathway targeting and low brain penetration. The Company expects that combined restoration of the compromised PTEN tumor suppressor, inhibition of the avß3 and a4ß1 integrin-mediated FAK/Src oncogenic pathways, and downregulation of activated PI3k/Akt by its proprietary drugs will provide a unique path for clinically controlling glioblastoma and metastatic brain tumors. The Company further notes that it’s lead drug (ORX-101) achieves brain penetration levels more than an order of magnitude greater than current glioblastoma drugs.

Donald L. Barbeau, President and co-founder of OncoRx Pharmaceuticals, commented, ““We are pleased with the speed at which our patent application moved through the Patent Office, and the breadth of coverage we were able to obtain. More importantly, our initial focus on glioblastoma multiforme, an untreatable brain cancer, demonstrates the confidence we have in treating invasive therapy-resistant tumors that are resistant to VEGF- and EGFR-targeted therapeutics.”

About OncoRx Pharmaceuticals

OncoRx Pharmaceuticals (www.oncorxpharmaceuticals.com) is an early-stage pharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery and development of novel drugs that control tumor metastasis; disrupt proliferation; and downregulate tissue invasion of drug-resistant tumor cells. In the near term, the Company is planning clinical development programs for the treatment of pediatric diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) and glioblastoma multiforme. In the long term, the Company plans to expand its clinical program and develop oral drugs for the treatment of currently untreatable forms of metastatic malignant melanoma, estrogen-negative (e.g. triple-negative) breast cancer, lung cancer and pancreatic cancer.