D&D Pharmatech Receives U.S. Patent Registration for FAP-Targeted Radiopharmaceuticals

Secures U.S. Patent for FAP-Targeted Radiopharmaceuticals
Strengthening Platform Competitiveness Across Diagnosis and Treatment
PMI07 Undergoing Phase 1/2 Clinical Trials at UTSW in the U.S.

D&D Pharmatech announced on July 1 that it has received a notice of registration for a new U.S. patent for its fibroblast activation protein (FAP)-targeted radiopharmaceutical platform currently under development.

DND Pharmatech company logo image. DND Pharmatech

This patent covers a new class of compounds with improved binding structures compared to the original source patent. It is a substance and use patent that broadly protects both the radiopharmaceutical compounds targeting FAP and their applications in imaging diagnosis and treatment for various solid tumors. The company explained that securing this patent has strengthened the intellectual property rights for its FAP-targeted radiopharmaceutical platform, including the clinical-stage PET (positron emission tomography) imaging agent candidate PMI07 ([18F]FPyQCP).

FAP is a protein that is overexpressed in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) within the tumor microenvironment of various solid tumors. CAFs are known to accumulate around cancer cells, hindering immune cell infiltration and creating an immunosuppressive environment. As a result, global pharmaceutical and biotech companies are actively developing FAP-targeted radiopharmaceuticals for cancer imaging and treatment.

This patent is based on technology originally filed by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. D&D Pharmatech secured global exclusive rights to this technology through a licensing agreement in 2020.

The platform is applicable not only to diagnostic isotopes such as fluorine-18 (18F) and gallium-68 (68Ga), but also to therapeutic beta and alpha isotopes such as lutetium-177 (177Lu), actinium-225 (225Ac), and astatine-211 (211At). The company notes that this makes it possible to expand into theranostic radiopharmaceuticals that connect cancer diagnosis and treatment within a single platform.

In September 2021, D&D Pharmatech signed a technology transfer agreement for the FAP-targeted PET imaging agent candidate PMI07 with Blue Earth Diagnostics (BED), a subsidiary of global imaging company Bracco. PMI07 is currently in Phase 1/2 clinical trials at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW) in the United States, involving approximately 70 patients with various solid tumors, including colorectal, pancreatic, and gastric cancers.

Seulki Lee, CEO of D&D Pharmatech, stated, "The decision to grant a U.S. patent is significant in that it strengthens the intellectual property rights for the core FAP-targeted radiopharmaceuticals that have entered the clinical stage. We will continue to expand global research and development and partnerships based on the competitiveness of our platform, which encompasses both diagnosis and treatment."

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