On December 11, 2018 Cellectar Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: CLRB), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of targeted treatments for cancer, reported that the Japan Patent Office has granted the patent titled "Phospholipid Analogs as Diapeutic Agents and Methods of Use Thereof" with application number 2016135920 (Press release, Cellectar Biosciences, DEC 11, 2018, View Source [SID1234532012]). The patent provides composition of matter and use protection for the company’s proprietary phospholipid ether (PLE) analogs and specifically CLR 131 in breast, brain, leukemias and a variety of other cancers.
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"Certain cancers such as pediatric lymphomas and leukemias have a higher prevalence in Asia and represent unmet need both within and outside the region," said Jim Caruso, president and chief executive officer of Cellectar Biosciences. "The issuance of this patent enhances our growing intellectual property portfolio in this strategically important market and provides incremental value to CLR 131 and our PLE delivery franchise."
About Phospholipid Drug Conjugates
Cellectar’s product candidates are built upon a patented delivery and retention platform that utilizes optimized phospholipid ether-drug conjugates (PDCs) to target cancer cells. The PDC platform selectively delivers diverse oncologic payloads to cancerous cells and cancer stem cells, including hematologic cancers and solid tumors. This selective delivery allows the payloads’ therapeutic window to be modified, which may maintain or enhance drug potency while reducing the number and severity of adverse events. This platform takes advantage of a metabolic pathway utilized by all tumor cell types in all cell cycle stages. Compared with other targeted delivery platforms, the PDC platform’s mechanism of entry does not rely upon specific cell surface epitopes or antigens. In addition, PDCs can be conjugated to molecules in numerous ways, thereby increasing the types of molecules selectively delivered. Cellectar believes the PDC platform holds potential for the discovery and development of the next generation of cancer-targeting agents.
About CLR 131
CLR 131 is Cellectar’s investigational radioiodinated PDC therapy that exploits the tumor-targeting properties of the company’s proprietary PLE and PLE analogs to selectively deliver radiation to malignant tumor cells, thus minimizing radiation exposure to normal tissues. CLR 131 is in a Phase 2 clinical study in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (R/R MM) and a range of B-cell malignancies, and a Phase 1b clinical study in patients with R/R MM exploring fractionated dosing. The objective of the multicenter, open-label, Phase 1b dose-escalation study is the characterization of safety and tolerability of CLR 131 in patients with R/R MM. Patients in Cohorts 1-4 received single doses of CLR 131 ranging from 12.5 mCi/m2 to 31.25 mCi/m2 as well as a fractionated dose of 15.625 mCi/m2 given twice over seven days in Cohort 5. All study doses and regimens have been deemed safe and well tolerated by an independent Data Monitoring Committee. The company plans to initiate a Phase 1 study with CLR 131 in pediatric solid tumors and lymphoma as well as a second Phase 1 study in combination with external beam radiation for head and neck cancer.