September 12, 2017

HUMANETICS AWARDED PATENT FOR DRUG THAT IMPROVES THE EFFECTIVENESS OF RADIATION TREATMENT FOR CANCER

Patent protects the use of Humanetics’ lead drug, BIO 300, for use in cancer patients with solid tumors.

 

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Minneapolis-based Humanetics Corporation (Humanetics) has been awarded United States Patent 9,724,325 for its new drug, BIO 300, to be used in conjunction with current cancer treatments. BIO 300 is being developed to improve outcomes for cancer patients receiving radiation treatment for solid tumors. Up to 70% of all cancer patients with solid tumors will receive radiation treatment, and over half a million patients receive these treatments annually throughout the United States and Europe.

Radiation treatment is designed to destroy a patient’s cancerous tumor, but it also may harm the normal tissue around the tumor or in the treatment path. Common side effects include pneumonitis and fibrosis in lung cancer patients, oral mucositis and damage to the salivary glands in head and neck cancer patients, and erectile dysfunction following prostate cancer radiation treatment. Depending on the cancer type and location of the tumor, these side effects occur in as many as 80% of all patients receiving radiation therapy. BIO 300 has been shown to mitigate the harm to normal tissues, while also enhancing the ability of radiation to kill tumor cells. These unique, dual action properties of BIO 300 provide an opportunity to transform the therapeutic benefit of cancer radiation treatment for certain solid tumors.

“BIO 300’s demonstrated efficacy to enhance cancer treatment while reducing treatment-related side effects is unprecedented,” said Dr. Michael D. Kaytor, PhD, Vice President of Research and Development at Humanetics. “There are currently no drugs on the market that fill this critical need, and we’re very optimistic about BIO 300’s potential. This patent issuance is an important step in our progress.”

BIO 300 is currently in a clinical trial evaluating its safety and efficacy in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Further clinical studies are planned to evaluate BIO 300 in head and neck cancer patients as well as prostate cancer patients. In addition to treatment efficacy, these clinical studies will evaluate the ability of BIO 300 to reduce radiation toxicities to nearby normal tissue. BIO 300’s effectiveness as a radioprotectant was first discovered by the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, where it was being developed to protect military personnel from accidental or intention nuclear or radiological events. It remains under development for this use. 

About Humanetics Corporation

Humanetics is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company engaged in developing and commercializing products to enhance human health and wellbeing in markets with urgent and unmet needs with a focus on radiation modulators for oncology and medical countermeasures for both military and civilian use. For more information, visit www.humaneticscorp.com.