Rexahn Receives Notice of Allowance for U.S. Patent Covering RX-3117 Use in a Broad Range of Tumor Types
February 04 2019 - 8:00AM
Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE American: RNN), a clinical-stage
biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapies to
improve patient outcomes in cancers that are difficult to treat,
announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued a
Notice of Allowance for U.S. Patent Application No. 15/683,408,
“Fluorocyclopentenylcytosine Methods of Use.” The patent
application covers the use of RX-3117 in a broad range of tumor
types that over-express UCK2, the enzyme that activates RX-3117.
The company expects the patent to be issued within a few months
from the notice of allowance and provide protection to 2036.
Douglas J. Swirsky, chief executive officer of
Rexahn, stated, “This patent will significantly enhance the
intellectual property portfolio covering RX-3117. Once the patent
is issued, we will have additional protection covering the use of
RX-3117 in a broad range of tumor types including colorectal, lung,
ovarian, breast and liver cancers, in addition to the coverage for
pancreatic and bladder cancers. Rexahn has issued patents that
cover the composition of matter of RX-3117, manufacturing
processes, dosage regimens, pharmacokinetics and use in combination
with other anticancer drugs.”
About RX-3117
RX-3117 is a novel, investigational, oral, small
molecule nucleoside compound. Once intracellularly activated
(phosphorylated) by uridine cytidine kinase 2 (UCK2), it is
incorporated into the DNA or RNA of cells and inhibits both DNA and
RNA synthesis, which induces apoptotic death of tumor cells. Due to
the high level of overexpression of UCK2 in cancer cells, RX-3117
offers the potential for a targeted anti-cancer therapy with an
improved efficacy and safety profile. RX-3117 is currently being
studied in a Phase 2a clinical trial in combination with Abraxane®
(nab-paclitaxel) in first line metastatic pancreatic cancer
patients and a Phase 2a clinical trial in patients with advanced or
metastatic bladder cancer. It has received Orphan Drug designation
for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Additional information on
RX-3117 can be found
at: https://rexahn.com/cms/portfolio/rx-3117/.
ABRAXANE® is a registered trademark of Celgene
Corporation.
About Rexahn Pharmaceuticals,
Inc.
Rexahn Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NYSE American: RNN)
is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative
therapies to improve patient outcomes in cancers that are difficult
to treat. The Company’s mission is to improve the lives of cancer
patients by developing next-generation cancer therapies that are
designed to maximize efficacy while minimizing the toxicity and
side effects traditionally associated with cancer treatment.
Rexahn’s product candidates work by targeting and neutralizing
specific proteins believed to be involved in the complex biological
cascade that leads to cancer cell growth. Preclinical studies show
that several of Rexahn’s product candidates may be effective
against multiple types of cancer, including drug resistant cancers,
and difficult-to-treat cancers and others may augment the
effectiveness of current FDA-approved cancer treatments. The
Company has two oncology product candidates, RX-3117 and RX-5902,
in Phase 2 clinical development and additional compounds in
preclinical development, including RX-0301. For more information
about the Company and its oncology programs, please visit
www.rexahn.com.
Safe Harbor
To the extent any statements made in this press
release deal with information that is not historical, these are
forward-looking statements under the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, but are not limited
to, statements about Rexahn’s plans, objectives, expectations and
intentions with respect to the ongoing Phase 2a clinical trial of
RX-3117 in combination with ABRAXANE®, future operations and
products, the path of clinical trials and development activities,
and other statements identified by words such as “will,”
“potential,” “could,” “can,” “believe,” “intends,” “continue,”
“plans,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “may,” other words
of similar meaning or the use of future dates. Forward-looking
statements by their nature address matters that are, to different
degrees, uncertain. Uncertainties and risks may cause Rexahn’s
actual results to be materially different than those expressed in
or implied by Rexahn’s forward-looking statements. For Rexahn,
particular uncertainties and risks include, among others,
understandings and beliefs regarding the role of certain biological
mechanisms and processes in cancer; drug candidates being in early
stages of development, including clinical development; the ability
to initially develop drug candidates for orphan indications to
reduce the time-to-market and take advantage of certain incentives
provided by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; the ability to
transition from our initial focus on developing drug candidates for
orphan indications to candidates for more highly prevalent
indications; and the expecting timing of results from our clinical
trials. More detailed information on these and additional factors
that could affect Rexahn’s actual results are described in Rexahn’s
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its
most recent annual report on Form 10-K and subsequent quarterly
reports on Form 10-Q. All forward-looking statements in this news
release speak only as of the date of this news release. Rexahn
undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking
statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or
otherwise.
Media Contact:DGI CommSusan Forman or Laura
Radocaj+1-212-825-3210sforman@dgicomm.comlradocaj@dgicomm.com
Investor Contact:ir@rexahn.com
Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AMEX:RNN)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2024 to Apr 2024
Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AMEX:RNN)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2023 to Apr 2024