Cantargia Receives Notice of Allowance From USPTO for Expanded Protection in Treatment of Leukemia

STOCKHOLM, Feb. 27, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Cantargia AB ("Cantargia") has been notified that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued a Notice of Allowance for US patent application no. 15/242,242 which is the company's second, follow-up patent application in the hematological cancer patent family. If granted, it adds further protection to Cantargias robust portfolio of patents covering treatment of solid tumors and hematological cancers using antibodies against IL1RAP.

Cantargia already holds an approved parent patent in the USA covering a method of using IL1RAP as target molecule for antibody treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The patent provides protection until the end of 2030. Cantargia has subsequently submitted a follow-up (continuation) patent application covering treatment of further hematological cancer diseases,and has now received a Notice of Allowance for this continuation application from the USPTO. If the application is formally approved Cantargia will have patent protection in the USA for treatment of the most common forms of leukemia, using antibodies against IL1RAP, with a dual mode of action comprising blocking of IL1RAP associated signalling, and stimulation of immune cells to kill cancer cells with IL1RAP on the surface. A Notice of Allowance indicates that the USPTO intends to issue the company's patent application provided that certain administrative steps are completed.

Through a different patent family, Cantargia has one granted patent and a notice of allowance in the US for antibody treatment of solid tumors using IL1RAP as target. Cantargia also has granted patents on IL1RAP as target for antibody therapy in both hematological cancers as well as solid tumors in several major markets including Europe and Japan. These patents are valid until 2030 and 2032, respectively.

"This notice of allowance is an important step forward for Cantargia in our global patent strategy and provides further future commercialisation opportunities in USA which is our single largest market," Göran Forsberg, CEO of Cantargia, says.

For further information, please contact

Göran Forsberg, CEO
Telephone: +46(0)46-275-62-60
E-mail: goran.forsberg@cantargia.com

This constitutes information which Cantargia is required to publish under the EU's Market Abuse Regulation and the Swedish Securities Market Act. The information was submitted for publication through the above contact person on 27 February 2018, at 08:30

About Cantargia
Cantargia AB (publ), reg.no. 556791-6019, is a biotech company that is developing antibody-based treatments for life-threatening diseases. The original discovery by the research team behind Cantargia was the overexpression of a specific target molecule, interleukin 1 receptor accessory protein (IL1RAP) in leukemic stem cells. Subsequent research has also identified IL1RAP in many other forms of cancer. The company's main project, the CAN04 antibody targeted at IL1RAP, will be assessed in the CANFOUR clinical phase I/IIa study, where the primary focus is on non-small cell lung cancer and pancreatic cancer. CAN04 has two modes of action: it blocks the function of IL1RAP and stimulates the immune system to destroy tumour cells. Cantargia's second project, currently in the research phase, is aimed at developing an IL1RAP-binding antibody that is optimised for treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

Cantargia is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm First North (ticker: CANTA). Sedermera Fondkommission is the company's Certified Adviser. More information about Cantargia is available at http://www.cantargia.com. 

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