Patent success for Genaera
Genaera Corporation, based in Plymouth Meeting, PA, US, has been granted a US patent covering claims for intermediates in the synthesis of squalamine or a homologous aminosterol.
Genaera Corporation, based in Plymouth Meeting, PA, US, has been granted a US patent covering claims for intermediates in the synthesis of squalamine or a homologous aminosterol.
'This patent is important to Genaera as we further secure and expand our intellectual property position surrounding squalamine, which is being developed clinically in age-related macular degeneration and cancer,' noted Roy C Levitt, president and ceo. 'The patent also covers composition of matter for chemicals used as intermediate steps in the synthesis of homologous aminosterol compounds. Coupled with our exciting early clinical trial results, we believe squalamine is now positioned nicely to compete with any therapies in development or currently available for wet AMD.'
Squalamine is the first clinical drug candidate in a class of naturally occurring, pharmacologically active, small molecules known as aminosterols. Squalamine directly interrupts and reverses multiple facets of the angiogenic process. Working within activated endothelial cells, squalamine inhibits growth factor signaling including VEGF, integrin expression, and reverses cytoskeletal formation, thereby resulting in endothelial cell inactivation and apoptosis. The company has ongoing clinical trials in non-small cell lung cancer and prostate cancer, and has performed clinical studies evaluating squalamine in the treatment of lung, ovarian, and other adult solid cancers. Genaera also is developing squalamine in clinical trials for age related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness for adults age 50 or older.