Trethera And Nanotherapeutics Sign Exclusive Worldwide Agreement For Rights To Triapine In Hematological Malignancies

SANTA MONICA, Calif. & ALACHUA, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Trethera Corporation and Nanotherapeutics, Inc. today announced the signing of an exclusive worldwide agreement whereby Nanotherapeutics has granted Trethera an exclusive license for the global development, manufacturing and marketing of Triapine® (3-AP) and all formulations, for the treatment of hematological malignancies. Triapine® is a clinical-stage, small molecule inhibitor of ribonucleotide reductase (RNR), a key enzyme in the de novo pathway of nucleotide biosynthesis.

Trethera has advanced preclinical development of proprietary, small molecule inhibitors of deoxycytidine kinase (dCK), the rate-limiting enzyme in the salvage pathway of nucleotide biosynthesis. Results of its preclinical studies indicate robust and durable anti-leukemic activity of its dCK inhibitors when combined with inhibitors of RNR, and these combinations have demonstrated superior activity over single agent treatments. Trethera aims to commence a Phase I clinical trial for its orally administered, lead dCK inhibitor, TRE-515, in H2 2017.

“This license agreement marks an important step in addressing the needs of patients and physicians combating acute leukemia as well as other blood cancers,” said Johanna Holldack, MD, Chief Executive Officer and President of Trethera Corporation. “Our recent non-clinical studies indicate how powerful the combination of Triapine® and TRE-515 could be. Securing this partnership accelerates our development pathway and ensures that the potential of this pioneering combination therapy will be fully realized.”

Prasad Raje, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Nanotherapeutics, commented, “We are delighted to be able to license Triapine® to Trethera for the treatment of hematological malignancies. Trethera’s scientific team is pursuing critically important research which may unlock this compound’s ability to yield new blood cancer therapies in the future and we look forward to watching their progress.”

About Trethera

Trethera Corporation is a privately-held biotechnology company based in Santa Monica, CA, whose mission is to address the unmet medical needs of patients with cancer. The company specializes in the development of small molecule-based therapeutics that target the metabolic pathways of nucleotide biosynthesis and which hold potential to improve treatment of broad indications in oncology. Trethera’s lead compound, TRE-515, is a first-in-class inhibitor of dCK and is being advanced toward a phase 1 clinical trial. Website: www.trethera.com

About Nanotherapeutics

Nanotherapeutics is an integrated biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Alachua, Florida, with a focus on development and manufacturing. The Company has expertise in preclinical and clinical development, formulation optimization, and cGMP manufacturing of biopharmaceutical products and medical devices. The Company’s proprietary platform technologies can be used with all drug types, ranging from small molecules to proteins and vaccines. For more information, visit the Company website at www.nanotherapeutics.com.