On September 14, 2022 MediciNova, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company traded on the NASDAQ Global Market (NASDAQ:MNOV) and the JASDAQ Market of the Tokyo Stock Exchange (Code Number: 4875), reported that it has received an Issue Notification from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a new patent which covers MN-166 (ibudilast) for the treatment of glioblastoma (Press release, MediciNova, SEP 14, 2022, https://investors.medicinova.com/news-releases/news-release-details/medicinova-receives-issue-notification-new-patent-covering-mn [SID1234619587]).
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This new patent is expected to expire no earlier than February 2039. The allowed claims cover a method of treating a patient diagnosed with glioblastoma or recurrent glioblastoma, wherein the patient expresses unmethylated MGMT, using MN-166 (ibudilast) in combination with one or more other therapeutic agents including temozolomide (TMZ), carmustine, bevacizumab, procarbazine, hydroxyurea, irinotecan, lomustine, nimotuzumab, sirolimus, mipsagargin, cabozantinib, onartuzumab, patupilone (epothilone B), and recombinant oncolytic poliovirus (PVS-RIPO). The allowed claims cover a wide range of doses of MN-166 (ibudilast) as well as the other therapeutic agents. The allowed claims also cover different types of glioblastoma including classical glioblastoma, proneural glioblastoma, mesenchymal glioblastoma, and neural glioblastoma.
Kazuko Matsuda, MD, PhD, MPH, Chief Medical Officer of MediciNova, Inc. commented, "We are very pleased to receive the issue notification for this new patent as it offers additional coverage compared to our other two patents covering glioblastoma. We have an ongoing clinical trial of MN-166 in combination with temozolomide for the treatment of recurrent glioblastoma at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School. Results of our glioblastoma animal model study showed that median survival was longer in the group that received combination treatment with MN-166 plus temozolomide compared to the group that received the standard treatment of temozolomide alone, and this data was presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) annual meeting. Encouragingly, the FDA granted orphan-drug designation to MN-166 as adjunctive therapy to temozolomide for the treatment of glioblastoma based on this data."
About Glioblastoma
According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, glioblastoma is an aggressive brain cancer that often results in death during the first 15 months after diagnosis. Glioblastoma develops from glial cells (astrocytes and oligodendrocytes), grows rapidly, and commonly spreads into nearby brain tissue. Glioblastoma is classified as Grade IV, the highest grade, in the World Health Organization (WHO) brain tumor grading system. The American Brain Tumor Association reports that glioblastoma represents about 15% of all primary brain tumors and approximately 10,000 cases of glioblastoma are diagnosed each year in the U.S. Despite decades of advancements in neuroimaging, neurosurgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, only modest improvements have been achieved and the prognosis has not improved for individuals diagnosed with glioblastoma. Median survival is about 11-15 months for adults with more aggressive glioblastoma (IDH-wildtype) who receive standard treatment of surgery, temozolomide, and radiation therapy.
About MN-166 (ibudilast)
MN-166 (ibudilast) is a small molecule compound that inhibits phosphodiesterase type-4 (PDE4) and inflammatory cytokines, including macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF). It is in late-stage clinical development for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), progressive MS (multiple sclerosis), and DCM (degenerative cervical myelopathy); and is also in development for glioblastoma, CIPN (chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy), and substance use disorder. In addition, MN-166 (ibudilast) was evaluated in patients that are at risk for developing acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).