Monopar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:MNPR) received additional patents for its Phase 2b/3 clinical-stage candidate, Validive.
Monopar is developing Validive for the prevention of chemoradiation-induced severe oral mucositis in patients with oropharyngeal cancer, an indication for which there are no FDA-approved treatments.
The recently issued patents would provide protection should Monopar choose to target the adverse side effects of chemotherapy in other cancer indications.
“According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 650,000 cancer patients receive chemotherapy each year in the U.S., and most of these experience side-effects as a result of their treatment,” Chandler Robinson, M.D., Monopar’s CEO, said in a statement.
“These patents expand the potential use of Validive beyond the earlier allowed claims for the prevention of oral mucositis in patients receiving chemoradiotherapy. This in turn serves to advance Monopar’s mission to develop treatments that improve quality of life in cancer patients undergoing treatment,” he added.
The company expects to start its Phase 2b/3 clinical trial of Validive by the end of this year.
