28 Mar 2017 14:45
For immediate release | 28 March 2017 |
Evgen Pharma plc
("Evgen Pharma" or "the Company")
Further US Patent Grant
Evgen Pharma plc (AIM: EVG), a clinical stage drug development company focused on the treatment of cancer and neurological conditions, is pleased to announce that the United States Patent and Trademark Office ("USPTO") has granted another patent that extends and reinforces the Company's intellectual property in connection with sulforaphane, the naturally occurring compound on which the Company's lead product, SFX-01, is based.
SFX-01 is a synthetic version of sulforaphane and is protected by extensive composition of matter and manufacturing process patents. The new patent, granted today under number US9,603,828, covers a method of isolation and stabilisation of sulforaphane from a natural source and is strategically important in extending the Company's intellectual property position.
The patent is entitled Sulforaphane Isolation and Purification and runs until May 2033. The exclusive worldwide rights to the patent are held by Evgen Pharma under the terms of a licence agreement with PharmAgra Labs Inc., the US laboratory that invented SFX-01.
On 14 February 2017, the Company announced that the USPTO had granted a patent relating to manufacturing process for SFX-01. Evgen Pharma has since received a number of Notices of Allowance across its intellectual property portfolio but has taken the position that it will only announce material developments in the major territories of Europe, US and Japan. Developments in other territories will be summarised in half year and full year financial reporting.
Evgen Pharma is currently conducting two Phase II trials of SFX-01, one in advanced breast cancer and one in a type of stroke called subarachnoid haemorrhage.
Dr Stephen Franklin, CEO of Evgen Pharma, commented: "The ongoing expansion of our intellectual property position is a central tenet of our commercialisation strategy. With regard to SFX-01, we now have granted intellectual property in the US relating to the composition of the active pharmaceutical ingredient and the processes for manufacturing. As we move forward, we expect further developments with the potential to yield a third tier of patent protection around SFX-01."
This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of Regulation (EU) 596/2014.
Enquiries:
Evgen Pharma plc Dr Stephen Franklin, CEO www.evgen.com | c/o +44 (0) 20 7466 5000
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Buchanan Mark Court, Sophie Cowles, Stephanie Watson | +44 (0) 20 7466 5000
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Northland Capital Partners Limited Matthew Johnson, Gerry Beaney, Margarita Mitropoulou (Corporate Finance) John Howes and Rob Rees (Corporate Broking) | +44 (0) 20 3861 6625 | |
Notes for editors:
About Evgen Pharma plc
Evgen Pharma is a clinical stage drug development company whose lead programmes are in breast cancer and subarachnoid haemorrhage, a type of stroke. It is also carrying out preclinical work in multiple sclerosis and has a clinical interest in prostate cancer. The Company's core technology is Sulforadex®, a method for synthesising and stabilising the naturally occurring compound sulforaphane and novel proprietary analogues based on sulforaphane. The lead product, SFX-01, is a patented composition of synthetic sulforaphane and alpha-cyclodextrin.
Evgen Pharma commenced operations in January 2008 and has its headquarters at The Colony, Wilmslow, Cheshire. It joined the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange in October 2015 and trades under the ticker symbol EVG.
For further information please visit: www.evgen.com
For a recent analyst research note on Evgen Pharma, please visit:
http://www.hardmanandco.com/docs/default-source/company-docs/evgen-pharma-documents/29.11.16-harnessing-the-clinical-potential-of-sulforaphane.pdf