Therapeutic for Treatment Resistant Breast Cancer Gains US Patent

A new US patent covering IpY, a therapeutic peptide addressing drug-resistant breast cancer by targeting the cellular pathway p27Kip1, will enable Concarlo Holdings, as exclusive licensee, to move forward with commercialisation of medicines for metastatic breast cancer.

Concarlo has also filed a provisional patent application for modified versions of the therapeutic peptide that are believed to exhibit enhanced bioavailability. CDK4i drugs directly target the CDK4/6 pathway implicated in many malignancies; however, such therapeutics are associated with patients transitioning to a treatment-resistant form of the condition, despite initial extended periods of remission.

“Despite the clinical efficacy of CDK4 inhibitors, we’re seeing that primary or secondary resistance to therapy is presenting a significant challenge to overall survival,” commented Dr. Dominique Bridon, Chief Development Officer at Concarlo. “With the IpY technology and its unique mechanism of action, we’re effectively targeting CDK4 while simultaneously inhibiting another target — CDK2 — which has been found to be a key molecular player in the development of drug resistance. In doing so, we are the first company to successfully address the CDK4i resistance issue to provide long-term durable tumor arrest. Combined with its highly specific targeting and low toxicity profile, the positive impact of this drug on the breast cancer treatment landscape is hard to understate.”