Cantargia reports filing of opposition against Cantargia patent in Europe

Cantargia AB today announces that an opposition has been filed against one of the European patents in Cantargia’s patent family covering antibody therapy in solid tumors. The patent, with number EP3020730B1, confers protection for e.g. IL1RAP targeted antibodies in tumor forms not already covered in the European mother patent, which was granted in 2016. The current opponent, Mab Discovery GmbH, also filed an opposition against the mother patent in 2016. That opposition was unsuccessful and the mother patent, valid until 2032, remains in force after the opposition proceedings were concluded in 2018.  

Cantargia develops antibody-based pharmaceuticals against the interleukin 1 receptor accessory protein (IL1RAP). Cantargia’s lead project, the antibody CAN04 binds IL1RAP with high affinity and functions through both ADCC and blockade of interleukin 1 signaling. CAN04 is investigated in a European open label three-armed phase I/IIa clinical trial, CANFOUR, examining monotherapy as well as combination with two different standard chemotherapy regimes in patients with non-small cell lung cancer or pancreatic cancer (www.clinicaltrials.gov).

In addition to granted composition of matter patents on CAN04, Cantargia also has two patent families covering several aspects around antibody therapy against IL1RAP to treat cancer. These patent families concerning IL1RAP comprise more than 80 granted patents and almost 30 additional pending patent applications worldwide. Mab Discovery GmbH, filed oppositions against two of Cantargia’s granted European patents during 2016. These oppositions were unsuccessful and both patents remain in force after the opposition proceedings at the European Patent Office, EPO, were concluded. To broaden the protection obtained in these patents, Cantargia filed divisional applications. One of these divisional applications has been granted by the EPO and covers e.g. additional solid tumor indications. Mab Discovery has now filed an opposition against that patent, and the next step is a formal procedure where Cantargia is invited to comment on the opposition. It should be noted that this opposition has no direct formal impact on the previously granted mother patents.

“We are surprised that a new opposition has been filed. We believe our patents around IL1RAP as a target for antibody therapy are strong and that the opposition is groundless. However, the opposition confirms other parties interest around the commercial opportunities around IL1RAP as a target for cancer therapy, even though years behind us in the development”, Göran Forsberg, Cantargia’s CEO says.

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

This is information that Cantargia AB is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, at 12.00 CET on 10 October 2019.

About Cantargia
Cantargia AB (publ), reg. no. 556791-6019, is a biotechnology company that develops antibody-based treatments for life-threatening diseases. The basis for this is the protein IL1RAP that is involved in a number of diseases and where Cantargia has established a platform. The main project, the antibody CAN04 (nidanilimab) is being studied in the clinical phase I/IIa CANFOUR with a primary focus on non-small cell lung cancer and pancreatic cancer. The study is conducting both monotherapy and combination therapy. Cantargia's other project, CANxx, is in the research phase and is aiming to develop a IL1RAP binding antibody optimised for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

Cantargia is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm (ticker: CANTA). More information about Cantargia is available at http://www.cantargia.com.

---