Perifosine, which is an oral anticancer drug that inhibits Akt activation in the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway, has been granted orphan drug status by the US Food and Drug Administration for multiple myeloma and neuroblastoma treatment.
The new patent granted by the European Patent Office (EPO) entitled, ‘Use of Alkyl Phosphocholines in Combination with Anti-Tumour Medicaments,’ is valid till 28 July 2023.
Aeterna Zentaris president and CEO Juergen Engel said the patent protects the use of perifosine in combination with capecitabine, not only in metastatic colorectal cancer, but also in other cancer indications such as gastric and breast cancer where capecitabine is also approved.
"The patent comes also at a time when we are looking forward to the completion of the pivotal Phase 3 trials with perifosine in colorectal cancer and multiple myeloma," Engel said.