On July 23, 2026 Lantern Pharma Inc. (NASDAQ: LTRN), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company using artificial intelligence and genomic data to develop targeted cancer therapies, reported that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued a Notice of Allowance for U.S. Patent Application No. 17/230,821, titled "Methods for the Treatment of Solid Tumor Cancers Using Illudins and Biomarkers."

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The allowed claims cover methods of selecting and treating patients with ovarian, primary liver, kidney, or thyroid cancer with LP-184 (zirdafulven) based on measured elevated expression of each of three genes — PTGR1, PTPN14, and ASPH — in a patient tumor sample.

"PTGR1 is unique in that it sits on both sides of the equation — it is associated with aggressive tumor biology, and it is the enzyme that activates LP-184 inside the tumor cell," said Kishor Bhatia, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Lantern Pharma. "Combining it with PTPN14 and ASPH gives us a selection signature that leverages additional features of tumors that either make them aggressive by impacting proliferation, as in the case of ASPH, or are part of parallel pathways that confer sensitivity to LP-184, as is the case of PTPN14. The allowance recognizes that this biomarker signature is a unique approach, and we expect this to help us increase the likelihood of response and benefit for patients in our clinical trials."

AI-Guided Precision Medicine Approach

Lantern’s proprietary RADR artificial intelligence platform played a central role in LP-184’s development, identifying prostaglandin reductase-1 (PTGR1) overexpression and low expression of multiple DDR genes as strong predictors of LP-184 sensitivity.

LP-184 functions as a prodrug that is selectively activated inside cancer cells by PTGR1, which is frequently overexpressed in tumors. Upon activation, LP-184 forms a highly reactive metabolite that damages the DNA of the cancer cell and induces interstrand cross-links and double-strand breaks — damage that cannot be repaired in tumors with deficient DNA damage repair (DDR) pathways, resulting in selective cancer-cell death while sparing normal cells.

Lantern Pharma completed a 63-patient LP-184 Phase 1a trial in patients with recurrent or refractory advanced solid tumors. Among patients treated at or above the effective therapeutic dose, the disease control rate was 45%. LP-184 is planned to be evaluated in multiple precision oncology Phase 1b/2 trials in advanced aggressive and rare cancers during 2026.

Lantern Pharma intends to continue expanding its patent portfolio through additional filings covering further indications and biomarker-guided applications of LP-184.

Webinar: Inside The Data — An In-Depth Discussion of the LP-184 Science, Clinical Trial Results, and Future Development Plans

For a comprehensive review of LP-184’s mechanism of action, detailed Phase 1a clinical data, patient case studies, and the company’s development strategy, Lantern Pharma invites stakeholders to view the recent "Inside The Data" webinar featuring management and a Key Opinion Leader from Fox Chase Cancer Center. The webinar provides in-depth scientific context and clinical insights that complement this announcement and is available on Lantern Pharma’s YouTube channel at: View Source

About LP-184

LP-184 is a next-generation acylfulvene that is synthetically lethal and designed to selectively target solid tumors with DNA damage repair pathway deficiencies. As a prodrug activated by the enzyme PTGR1, LP-184 induces irreparable DNA damage in cancer cells while sparing normal tissue. The compound has demonstrated nanomolar potency in preclinical models and encouraging durability in early clinical testing in heavily pre-treated patients. LP-184 has received FDA Fast Track Designation for TNBC and GBM, and Orphan Drug Designation for malignant gliomas, pancreatic cancer, and ATRT.

(Press release, Lantern Pharma, JUL 23, 2026, View Source [SID1234669395])