OxiGene to license newly patented novel small-molecule drug

By Lisa Kerner

Erie, Pa., March 29 - OxiGene, Inc. said U.S. Patent No. 7,018,987 for novel methods of synthesizing its lead therapeutic candidate, Combretastatin A4 Phosphate (CA4P), was granted to Arizona State University.

The patent, entitled "Synthesis of Combretastatin A4 Prodrugs and Trans-Isomers Thereof," is licensed exclusively to OxiGene and provides patent coverage through 2019, according to a company news release.

CA4P is a novel small-molecule drug candidate known as a vascular-disrupting agent that has been shown to impede the flow of blood to tumors.

"We believe that this recently issued patent presents a unique advantage to OxiGene because it provides additional patent protection for the manufacturing process for CA4P," president and chief executive officer Frederick Driscoll said in the release.

"In our opinion, this patent award is an important stepping stone in our progress toward potential market commercialization with our lead therapeutic candidate. Further, the patent awards protection to additional salt forms of the prodrug, and we believe this offers OxiGene a more robust portfolio of potential clinical candidates."

The new patent complements OxiGene's patent portfolio, which includes U.S. Patent No. 6,743,937 for efficient methods of synthesizing CA4P for large-scale pharmaceutical manufacturing.

The company said CA4P is being evaluated in multiple clinical trials in oncology and ophthalmology.

OxiGene, based in Waltham, Mass., develops novel small-molecule therapeutics to treat cancer and eye diseases.

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