LOS ANGELES, Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Trethera Corporation (“Trethera”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel drugs that target nucleotide metabolism for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases, announced today that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has filed a notice of grant for a composition of matter patent covering the polymorphic form of TRE-515. The resulting US patent extends patent protection for TRE-515 in the United States by at least seven years until November 2041. TRE-515 is a first-in-class drug targeting the enzyme deoxycytidine kinase (dCK) and is currently in Phase 1 clinical trials located attempts.

Illustration 1. Co-crystal 3D structure of the drug bound to the target enzyme dCK at the deoxycytidine binding site.

“We are very excited about this addition to the TRE 515 patent portfolio,” said Dr. Ken Schultz, CEO of Trethera and co-inventor of the patent. “The patent issue is significant, not only with the addition of more than 19 years of exclusivity from today in the world’s largest market, but also with claims covering the unique chemical structure of TRE-515, whether or not it is used to treat Cancer, multiple sclerosis or other diseases. Success in this patent application demonstrates Trethera’s strong commitment to protecting the innovation and commercialization of our leading asset.”

Trethera is currently enrolling a phase 1 dose escalation study to evaluate TRE-515 monotherapy in patients with various solid tumors. Once-daily oral doses have increased from an initial dose of 40 mg to the current dose of 320 mg. As reported in June 2022 and ongoing to date, TRE-515 was well tolerated in all enrolled patients, with side effects being transient and manageable. In addition, 50% of the patients who completed their second CT scan (N=6) in the first two cohorts, i.e. 40 mg and 80 mg doses, showed stable disease. The dose escalation portion of the study is…