Patent granted for therapeutic peptide developed by Concarlo to treat drug-resistant breast cancer

Patent granted for therapeutic peptide developed by Concarlo to treat drug-resistant breast cancer

Concarlo Holdings LLC announced today that U.S. Patent 10,702,570 was issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office on July 7, 2020. This marks the latest step in Concarlo's journey to commercialize revolutionary medicines for metastatic breast cancer. The patent, of which Concarlo is the exclusive licensee, covers IpY, a novel therapeutic peptide that combats drug-resistant breast cancer by targeting a unique cellular signaling pathway – p27Kip1.

The Downstate Biotechnology Incubator, New York, home of Concarlo's headquarters

Concarlo also announced that a new provisional patent application has been filed for modified versions of the therapeutic peptide that are believed to have improved bioavailability. Concarlo is a Brooklyn-based biotechnology innovator dedicated to developing sophisticated, targeted therapies and diagnostics in oncology. The IpY technology is the first to address the high incidence of drug-refractory disease encountered with currently available CDK4 inhibitor (CDK4i) treatments. Such a solution has the potential to dramatically increase the overall survival rate of breast cancer patients.

With an estimated number of more than 40,000 deaths from metastatic breast cancer in the United States alone this year, there is an urgent need to bring newer, more effective therapeutics to market. The recent introduction of CDK4i drugs, a class of drugs that directly target the CDK4/6 pathway involved in many malignancies, has had a significant impact on the way the disease is treated. However, such therapeutics are associated with patients progressing to a treatment-resistant form of the disease despite initial prolonged periods of remission. Based on more than 20 years of research and development experience, Concarlo has developed IpY and a companion diagnostic, ApY, to effectively overcome the problem of CDK4i resistance and introduce a more targeted treatment approach for optimized patient outcomes.

Despite the clinical efficacy of CDK4 inhibitors, we note that primary or secondary resistance to therapy poses a significant challenge to overall survival. Using IpY technology and its unique mechanism of action, we effectively target CDK4 while inhibiting another target – CDK2 – which has been shown to play an important molecular role in the development of drug resistance. This makes us the first company to successfully tackle the problem of CDK4i resistance and enable long-term and permanent tumor arrest. Combined with its highly specific targeting and low toxicity profile, the positive impact of this drug on the breast cancer treatment landscape can hardly be underestimated.”

Dr. Dominique Bridon, Chief Development Officer at Concarlo

Founded in 2016, Concarlo is supported by a team of internationally renowned experts who form its scientific advisory board. To date, the company has raised more than $3.1 million to support the development, improvement and commercialization of its IpY and ApY technologies, providing a precision medicine approach to breast cancer treatment. The newly issued patent for IpY and the provisional patent application for modified versions of the peptide are the first key milestones in Concarlo's plan to build an extensive patent portfolio to maintain market exclusivity for its clinically relevant therapeutics.

The granting of this patent is a big step and confirms our targeted efforts and activities to date. The new US patent and pending provisional application position us perfectly to continue our innovative work with a technology capable of addressing a significant challenge in breast cancer treatment - CDK4i resistance. We look forward to exploring opportunities for further partnerships and collaborations as we realize the commercialization of IpY.”

LisaMarie Casey, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Concarlo

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