The new patent will cover solid crystal forms of SCO-101, which includes the form of the compound that Scandion expects to commercialize.
Scandion Oncology (Scandion), a biotech company developing first-in-class medicines aimed at treating cancer which is resistant to current treatment options, has now formally been granted the Composition of Matter-patent for its lead compound SCO-101, for which the company applied last year, by the European Patent Office (EPO).
The new patent covers solid crystal and amorphous forms of SCO-101, which includes the form of the compound that Scandion expects to commercialize. Expiring in 2042, the patent will extend the potential exclusivity period for SCO-101 in its expected commercial crystal form and significantly strengthen the intellectual property portfolio covering it. This may allow Scandion to expand the development of SCO-101 into new indications and drug combinations, potentially making a future treatment available to more patients.
SCO-101 is currently being clinically developed as a combination treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) and pancreatic cancer. Just last week, Scandion presented impressive new overall survival data from its CORIST trial, studying SCO-101 as a combination treatment of mCRC, to be further confirmed in a larger clinical trial.
“The granting of this patent is an important component of our strategy to become one of the leaders in the development of drugs that target cancer drug resistance. It puts us in the unique position of having close to 20 years of patent protection on a compound already in clinical development,” said Francois Martelet, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Scandion. “By combining SCO-101 and chemotherapy (FOLFIRI) in metastatic colorectal cancer patients we have shown good overall survival data. This patent helps protect our approach and expands our potential to combine SCO-101 with chemotherapy in other cancer indications.”
Today, cancer drug resistance continues to constitute a huge unmet medical need. Scandion believes that SCO-101 can revert cancer’s resistance to treatments like chemotherapy thereby making the treatments work better and prolonging the lives of patients with end-stage diseases such as mCRC.
The formal grant of the patent follows the positive opinion issued by the EPO in January 2023 and its intention to grant communicated in July 2023. Scandion will now take all necessary steps to obtain patents in a number of countries outside Europe deriving from the same international patent application.
The patent, entitled, “THERMODYNAMICALLY STABLE FORM OF SCO-101” is effective November 29, 2023, when published in the European Patent Bulletin. The patent will confer on Scandion’s 20 years of exclusivity over the SCO-101 forms claimed in the patent, thus providing a strong basis for drug development and commercialization.
For further information please contact:
Johnny Stilou, CFO
Phone: +45 2960 3532
E-mail: jos@scandiononcology.com
The information was provided by the contact person above for publication on November 29, 2023, at 08.30 CET.
Scandion Oncology (Scandion), the Cancer Drug Resistance Company, discovers and develops first-in-class medicines aimed at treating cancer which is resistant to current treatment options. We are at the forefront of this field, developing novel medicines that address cancer’s resistance against treatment. Our aim is to make existing cancer treatments work better and longer, thereby potentially prolonging and improving the life of patients who would otherwise have a high risk of dying from their cancer.
Globally, close to 10 million patients die every year from cancer and approximately 90 percent of all cancer related deaths are due to cancer drug resistance. Our medicines could be relevant in several different cancers. That makes both our medical and commercial potential significant.
Scandion is based in Copenhagen and its lead candidate, SCO-101, is currently being studied in clinical phase I and II trials. The company is listed on Nasdaq First North Growth Market Sweden (ticker: SCOL).
Västra Hamnen Corporate Finance is the Company's certified advisor on Nasdaq First North Growth Market.