Reading those abstracts, F3-deH-dEpoB looks like an exciting prospect (but they clearly still have some serious work to do on the naming front <g>):
The therapeutic safety margin of F3-deH-dEpoB is one of the widest reported to date for a prospective cancer therapeutic agent in which 1/3 of MTD achieved total tumor remission. It is shown to be superior to any of the currently registered cancer therapeutic drugs evaluated in the same setting. The dramatic improvement in performance arises from increased cytotoxicity and efficacy associated with the E-9,10 double bond and superior metabolic stability provided by the three fluorine atoms at carbon 26.
From my skimming of the (unfortunately as always elided) revised agreement between KOSN and Sloan-Kettering it seems highly likely that KOSN has the rights to this compound as well.
?Covered Period? shall mean the period from August 25, 2000 through the Settlement Date.
...
1.3 ?[*] Program? shall mean all research and development work involving Epothilones or methods of manufacture or use of Epothilones (a) in the laboratory of [*] at Sloan-Kettering, (b) in the laboratory of [*] at Sloan-Kettering and/or (c) by any persons working under their direction or in collaboration with them, in the case of each of (a), (b) and (c), during the Covered Period.
Here's what KOSN says in the 10-Q:
Effective September 19, 2003, the Company and The Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research (?Sloan-Kettering?) agreed to settle litigation between them regarding their August 2000 research and license agreement. Under the terms of the settlement, pending litigation has been dismissed, and the Company and Sloan-Kettering have agreed that rights to epothilone analogs that were in dispute are included in the exclusive license Sloan-Kettering granted to the Company in the research and license agreement, and that so long as the Company makes the payments required under the settlement, Sloan-Kettering does not have the right to terminate that agreement (including the Company?s exclusive license from Sloan-Kettering for KOS-862) on the basis of any alleged breach prior to the settlement. The Company recorded $1.5 million in research and development expenses for non-contingent payments to Sloan-Kettering under the settlement and is required to make certain future payments contingent upon the achievement of specific milestones and to undertake certain development activities with the previously disputed analogs.
Peter |
