TORONTO, June 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Bradmer Pharmaceuticals Inc., a biotechnology company dedicated to the development and commercialization of cancer therapies, today announced that the European Patent Office has issued a letter of allowance for a patent titled “Radioconjugation of Internalizing Antibodies” to the Company’s license partner Duke University.
The patent relates to the composition of antibody conjugate materials and the methods to enhance and preserve the attachment of radioactive molecules to therapeutic antibodies that are taken into certain diseased cells and subsequently kill them. A corresponding patent with a similar description was issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, as U.S. patent number 6,426,400, in July of 2002. In February of 2006, Bradmer’s license partner Duke University was issued a second patent, U.S. patent number 6,998,106, by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. This second follow-on patent, describes numerous additions and improvements to the conjugation methods.
“Protecting the proprietary technology related to our novel therapies is a critical long-term component of our corporate strategy and growth opportunities,” said Mark C. Rogers, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Bradmer. “This progress on the patents in Europe and the United States demonstrates our commitment to build a comprehensive portfolio of innovative targeted antibody therapies.”
While the specific technology covered by these patents is not used in Bradmer’s lead clinical candidate Neuradiab, the protection afforded by this family of patents allows the development and eventual commercialization of multiple, novel, targeted antibody therapies for a variety of cancers and related diseases.
Bradmer holds five issued patents and 16 pending patents dealing with the composition of materials, uses, dosimetry methods, combination therapies, additional targets, diagnostics and associated technologies. This represents a significant expansion from three issued patents and five pending patents originally licensed from Duke University.
About Bradmer Pharmaceuticals Inc. (www.bradmerpharma.com)
Bradmer Pharmaceuticals is a biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of new and innovative cancer therapies. Bradmer’s lead clinical candidate, Neuradiab, was developed at Duke University Medical Center as a proprietary therapy for a particularly aggressive form of brain cancer. To date, over US$60 million in grants and related support has driven research and development of the licensed treatment, which has been delivered to over 200 patients with excellent results and has completed Phase II clinical trials at Duke University. Bradmer is currently in the process of organizing a multi-center clinical trial of the licensed treatment. Neuradiab was recently granted Orphan Drug Status by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Bradmer Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s common shares have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) or any state regulatory agency in the United States. The resale or transfer by a U.S. investor of such common shares of Bradmer Pharmaceuticals Inc. is subject to the requirements of Rule 904 of Regulation S of the Securities Act or such other applicable exemption thereunder, and other applicable state securities laws.
Except for historical information, this press release may contain forward- looking statements, which reflect the Company’s current expectation regarding future events. These forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainties, which may cause but are not limited to, changing market conditions, the successful and timely completion of clinical studies, the establishment of corporate alliances, the impact of competitive products and pricing, new product development, uncertainties related to the regulatory approval process and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company’s ongoing quarterly and annual reporting.
Bradmer Pharmaceuticals Inc.
CONTACT: Bradmer Pharmaceuticals Inc. - Mr. Brian Brohman, Chief FinancialOfficer, Phone: (502) 657-6038, Fax: (502) 657-6039, E-mail:bbrohman@bradmerpharma.com, Internet: www.bradmerpharma.com; InvestorRelations - Ross Marshall, The Equicom Group Inc., Phone: (416) 815-0700(Ext. 238), Fax: (416) 815-0080, E-mail: rmarshall@equicomgroup.com