XTLbio Announces Grant of HCV Human Monoclonal Antibody Patent
Patent Covering Antibodies Directed Against Hepatitis C Virus Recently Licensed from Stanford University
Rehovot, Israel, 8 April 2004 - XTL Biopharmaceuticals Ltd. (XTLbio) announces the issuance of US Patent No. 6,692,908 (the '908 Patent') entitled, 'Prevention and treatment of HCV infection employing antibodies that inhibit the interaction of HCV virions with their receptor'. The patent covers human monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) directed against the envelope glycoprotein 2 (E2) of the hepatitis C virus (HCV). The patent was recently licensed from Stanford University. The MAbs disclosed in the patent include a potent neutralizing antibody that could potentially enhance XTLbio's treatment candidate, HepeX-C, and a human monoclonal antibody based product, currently in phase 2 clinical studies in liver transplant patients. HepeX-C has shown anti-viral activity in phase 1 studies in chronic HCV patients. In line with XTLbio's previously announced strategy in HCV liver transplantation, XTLbio intends to submit an IND for a combination of HepeX-C with one of the newly licensed antibodies later this year. The addition of a second antibody could increase the potency of the product by minimizing emergence of viral escape mutants and/or enhancing anti-viral activity.
'The grant of the '908 Patent' strengthens our intellectual property presence in the area of human monoclonal antibody therapeutics directed against hepatitis C,' stated Mirit Lotan, PhD, Senior Director of Patents and Technology Assessment for XTLbio. 'The '908 Patent' is XTLbio's first issued patent in the area of HCV antibodies and will provide a strong intellectual property base for the company's enhanced HepeX-C product in the US'.
The human monoclonal anti HCV antibodies covered by the 908 patent, bind to E2 epitopes common to multiple HCV genotypes. The antibodies were developed in the laboratory of Dr Steven Foung at Stanford University, and were extensively evaluated by XTLbio using the Company's proprietary HCV in vitro and in vivo validation systems to assess anti-viral activity... |
