7 May 2018 - - Henderson, Nevada-based oncology and hematology drug products developer Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPPI) has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center for intellectual property related to certain methods of use of poziotinib, the company said.
Under the terms of the agreement, Spectrum has been granted a license that includes rights to filed patents related to exon 20 as well as any unidentified discoveries related to the use of poziotinib that may come from the lab of Dr. John Heymach at MD Anderson in the future.
The filed patents, if granted, are expected to extend the intellectual property protection to 2037. This agreement with MD Anderson further solidifies and extends Spectrum's intellectual property protection for poziotinib.
Poziotinib is a novel epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR TKI) that inhibits the tyrosine kinase activity of EGFR as well as HER2 and HER4, which in turn leads to the inhibition of the proliferation of tumor cells that overexpress these receptors.
Mutations or overexpression/amplification of EGFR family receptors have been associated with a number of different cancers, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), breast cancer, and gastric cancer.
Spectrum Pharmaceuticals is focused on acquiring, developing, and commercializing drug products, with a primary focus in hematology and oncology.
The company currently markets six hematology/oncology drugs.