VANCOUVER, British Columbia and MENLO PARK, Calif., March 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — DelMar Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTCQX: DMPI) (DelMar and the Company), a company focused on developing and commercializing proven cancer therapies in new orphan drug indications, today announced that it received a Notice of Allowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for patent application number 13/817,096 entitled, “Compositions and methods to improve the therapeutic benefit of suboptimally administered chemical compounds including substituted hexitols such as dianhydrogalactitol and diacetyldianhydrogalactitol.”
The allowed patent claims cover DelMar’s novel methods and compositions for the utility of chemical agents, compounds, and dosage forms related to administering VAL-083 (dianhydrogalactitol) for the treatment of hyperproliferative diseases, including cancer, to improve efficacy and reduce side effects of previously suboptimal chemotherapeutic agents.
“This is the very first patent application filed when we recognized the broad potential of VAL-083, a drug candidate that has demonstrated promising results in multiple cancer indications in previous clinical trials sponsored by the U.S. National Cancer Institute,” commented Jeffrey Bacha, DelMar’s president and CEO. “Importantly, this U.S. patent allowance is for a master set of claims covering uses and compositions for VAL-083 and is an integral part of DelMar’s robust and comprehensive patent estate expansion strategy.”
The USPTO issues a Notice of Allowance after it makes a determination that a claimed invention is novel and nonobvious in light of all known technology in existence, and that a patent should be granted from such an application. Based on the timing of this Notice of Allowance, DelMar Pharmaceuticals expects the forthcoming VAL-083 patent to be issued by mid-2015 and provide intellectual property protection for methods and compositions of use for VAL-083 through 2030.
Mr. Bacha added, “We are confident that we will continue to build upon our intellectual property portfolio designed to protect and enhance the value of VAL-083 as we prepare to advance towards U.S. registration trials in refractory glioblastoma multiforme and prepare to expand our clinical research into non-small cell lung cancer this year.”
This is the second notice of allowance the Company received this year from the USPTO for patents covering VAL-083. Upon issuance, DelMar will hold four U.S. patents and one international patent for VAL-083, having filed a total of more than ten new patent applications, which are being prosecuted in the United States and in international jurisdictions.
About VAL-083
VAL-083 is a first-in-class, small-molecule chemotherapeutic with a unique mechanism of action. In more than 40 Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials sponsored by the U.S. National Cancer Institute, VAL-083 has shown safety and efficacy in treating a number of cancers including lung, brain, cervical, ovarian tumors and leukemia. VAL-083 is approved in China for the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia and lung cancer and has received orphan drug designation in Europe and the United States for the treatment of gliomas. DelMar is currently studying VAL-083 in a Phase 1/2 clinical trial for patients with refractory glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most common and deadly form of brain cancer. As a potential treatment for GBM, VAL-083’s mechanism of action is unaffected by the expression of MGMT, a DNA repair enzyme that causes resistance to other chemotherapies approved for the treatment of GBM, including front-line treatment with Temodar®(temozolomide).
About DelMar Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
DelMar Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was founded to develop and commercialize proven cancer therapies in new orphan drug indications where patients are failing or have become intolerable to modern targeted or biologic treatments. The Company’s lead drug in development, VAL-083, is currently undergoing clinical trials in the U.S. as a potential treatment for refractory glioblastoma multiforme. VAL-083 has been extensively studied by the U.S. National Cancer Institute, and is currently approved for the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia and lung cancer in China. Published pre-clinical and clinical data suggest that VAL-083 may be active against a range of tumor types via a novel mechanism of action that could provide improved treatment options for patients.
For further information, please visit www.delmarpharma.com; or contact Jeffrey A. Bacha, President & CEO (604) 629-5989 or Amato & Partners LLC, Investor Relations admin@amatoandpartners.com. Follow us on Twitter @DelMarPharma or on Facebook Facebook.com/delmarpharma.
Safe Harbor Statement
Any statements contained in this press release that do not describe historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any forward-looking statements contained herein are based on current expectations, but are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. The factors that could cause actual future results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties relating to the Company’s ability to develop, market and sell products based on its technology; the expected benefits and efficacy of the Company’s products and technology; the availability of substantial additional funding for the Company to continue its operations and to conduct research and development, clinical studies and future product commercialization; and, the Company’s business, research, product development, regulatory approval, marketing and distribution plans and strategies. These and other factors are identified and described in more detail in our filings with the SEC, including, our current reports on Form 8-K.
SOURCE DelMar Pharmaceuticals, Inc
RELATED LINKS
http://www.delmarpharma.com
