Cantargia has announced the acquisition of a patent portfolio from Cellerant Therapeutics Inc covering aspects around the interleukin 1 receptor accessory protein (IL1RAP).

The acquired IP includes a US patent on IL1RAP as a target for antibody therapy in leukemia. Thereby, Cantargia has broadened its IP portfolio and secured ownership of the key patents around IL1RAP as a target for cancer therapy, it states.

Phase I/IIa clinical trial

Cantargia develops antibody-based pharmaceuticals against the interleukin 1 receptor accessory protein (IL1RAP). In the most advanced program, the antibody CAN04 binds IL1RAP with high affinity and its anti-tumor activity consists of stimulation of immune cells to eradicate cancer cells as well as blockade of interleukin 1 signaling.

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CAN04 is being investigated in an open label phase I/IIa clinical trial, CANFOUR, examining first line chemotherapy combination with two different standard regimes in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) or pancreatic cancer (PDAC), as well as monotherapy in late stage patients.

Secures all relevant IP on IL1RAP as a target for cancer therapy

Cantargia has a broad patent protection, including IP on the antibody CAN04 valid until 2035, and other IL1RAP binding antibodies. In addition, Cantargia also has patents on antibody therapy targeting IL1RAP in both solid tumors and in hematological cancer.

Besides the patents that Cantargia already owns, there is one additional patent on IL1RAP as target for antibody-based therapy in hematological cancer: US patent no. 8,715,619 from Cellerant, valid until 2029. Although hematological cancer is outside Cantargia’s current development focus, Cantargia has now acquired this and remaining patents and patent applications in this family as well as some additional IP from Cellerant’s IL1RAP portfolio. The additional IP concerns a few novel antibodies against IL1RAP that may be further evaluated in Cantargias CANxx program.

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Under the terms of the agreement, Cellerant will receive an insignificant upfront purchase payment and will also be entitled to a low single digit royalty on sales covered by claims in the acquired Cellerant patents, until they expire. No other milestone payment is included in the agreement.

“Cantargia has focused the CAN04 development on solid tumors and the clinical data we have generated in patients with NSCLC or PDAC are encouraging. By acquiring this IP, we have secured all relevant IP on IL1RAP as a target for cancer therapy,” said Göran Forsberg, CEO of Cantargia.