Corixa receives multiple U.S. patents in oncology programs
08/09/2001
Seattle, August 9, 2001 – Corixa Corporation (Nasdaq: CRXA), a developer of
immunotherapeutics, today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has
issued the Company three patents, including a method potentially useful in establishing the
optimal radiation dose given to a patient based on the patient’s specific traits – a method used in
administering Bexxar™ (tositumomab, iodine I 131 tositumomab). Corixa is seeking marketing
approval of Bexxar for the treatment of relapsed or refractory, low-grade or transformed low-grade
B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
The first patent awarded to Corixa -- U.S. Patent 6,251,362 -- relates to the administration of
radiopharmaceutical compounds for the therapy of cancer and other diseases.
Radiopharmaceuticals are compounds composed of radioactive isotopes often bound to other
molecules. When radioactive labels are attached to monoclonal antibodies that are specific for a
particular diseased tissue, the antibodies can selectively direct radiation to the specific disease
site. However, if a patient is given too much of a given radioactive isotope-antibody conjugate,
normal tissue can be adversely affected, creating unwarranted and dangerous toxicities. U.S.
patent 6,251,362 covers the administration and dosing of radiopharmaceuticals to minimize
toxicity while keeping the dosage high enough to successfully treat the disease. The patent covers
a variety of methods of determining radioisotope levels in patients after therapeutic
administration, including, but not limited to, imaging.
Additional patents issued today include U.S. Patents 6,262,245 and 6,261,562 covering DNA
sequences and methods of use for multiple prostate antigens potentially useful as vaccine or
antibody targets.
“The granting of these patents provides us with strong protection of our technology and
intellectual property in the United States,” said Steven Gillis, Ph.D., chairman and chief executive
officer at Corixa. “Specifically, the radiopharmaceutical compound patent further protects Corixa’s
approach of accurate and optimized dosing when administering a radioimmunotherapy like
Bexxar. We are pleased that the U.S. Patent Office has granted us protection for these additional
methods in the dosing process. We are pleased with these successes as we continue to pursue
comprehensive protection of Corixa’s intellectual property.”... |
