D&D Pharmatech’s Z-Alpha Wins European Patent Grant Decision for Prostate Cancer Therapy

Exclusive Rights in 38 EPC Member States in Europe
Clinical Development to Be Pursued in the United States or Europe This Year

D&D Pharmatech announced on the 9th that ZA-001, an alpha radiopharmaceutical candidate for the treatment of prostate cancer developed by its affiliate Z-Alpha in the United States, has received a notice of patent grant decision from the European Patent Office (EPO).

This patent covers not only the ZA-001 substance itself but also broadly protects its therapeutic and diagnostic applications, making it a substance and use patent. As a result, Z-Alpha has secured exclusive rights in all 38 member states of the European Patent Convention (EPC), including Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and Italy. This follows the substance and use patent it obtained in the United States last year.

ZA-001 is a next-generation alpha radiopharmaceutical that precisely targets prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) and emits alpha particles to selectively destroy cancer cells. Alpha radiopharmaceuticals are regarded as having advantages in efficacy and safety compared with existing beta radiopharmaceuticals.

While most alpha radiopharmaceuticals currently under development use actinium-225 (225Ac) or lead-212 (212Pb) as radioisotopes, Z-Alpha’s ZA-001 uses astatine-211 (211At) to enhance safety. The half-life of 211At is also shorter at 7.2 hours, compared with about 10 days for 225Ac.

Before embarking on full-scale clinical trials, Z-Alpha conducted an initial clinical study of ZA-001 in China to evaluate the drug’s safety and tolerability. Based on the results of this study, the company plans to carry out clinical development in the United States or Europe this year.

Lee Seulgi, CEO of D&D Pharmatech, said, "With this decision to grant the European patent, we are now able to pursue a more stable and long-term development plan," adding, "We will strengthen cooperation in all areas to support Z-Alpha’s successful research and development activities."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.