Singapore: Australia-based Patrys, a clinical stage biotechnology company, has been granted a second Australian patent for clinical anti-cancer product PAT-SM6.

The Australian Patent Office has issued the official Notice of Grant on a key patent in the PAT-SM6 family with application number 2007355108, entitled Novel glycosylated peptide target in neoplastic cells. This is the second patent to be granted in Australia.

This patent is one of a series of patent applications that have been submitted to cover the PAT-SM6 product, target and mechanism of action. The claims in this patent cover the PAT-SM6 antibody and binding fragments and methods of use of the antibody and binding fragments for treatment of various cancers including multiple myeloma.

In February 2012, Patrys was granted a patent by the US Patent Office that contains claims that cover the PAT-SM6 antibody, which binds to apolipoprotein B containing low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and apolipoprotein B containing oxidised LDL that are part of the complex, multistep mechanism of action for the product. To date, seven patents in the PAT-SM6 family have been granted in various jurisdictions including Europe, Japan, the US and Australia.

"This new patent goes a step further in protection for our lead clinical candidate PAT-SM6 until 2027. PAT-SM6 has already been granted orphan designation in both Europe and the US, so Patrys is in an excellent position to capitalize on the future returns of this novel antibody product", said Dr Marie Roskrow, CEO, Patrys.

Patrys' lead antibody drug PAT-SM6 is showing convincing evidence of potential therapeutic benefit in its ongoing phase I/IIa clinical trial in patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma and as such has the potential to improve and add to current treatments for myeloma.

Patrys has recently announced that it will partner with Onyx Pharmaceuticals to initiate a follow up clinical trial with Patrys' lead anti-cancer drug PAT-SM6 in combination with carfilzomib, in patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma. Patrys has additional patents pending both internationally and in the US.