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ValiRx Plc (AIM: VAL), a life science company with a focus on cancer diagnostics and therapeutics for personalised medicine, is pleased to announce that a method for cancer screening, using specific gene biomarkers in the field of genetics and oncology, has recently received patent approval by the United States’ patent office.
The granting of this latest patent means that ValiRx now has biomarker patent protection in both the US and across Europe, alongside granted and pending patents for its therapeutic technologies across Europe, the US, Canada and Australia.
This latest patent concerns the method or process by which gene biomarkers can be used in the detection or identification of a patient’s susceptibility to cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (a type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma) and also for improving treatment methods.
The use of biomarkers in oncology therapeutics is one of the fastest growing areas in cancer diagnosis and monitoring. In combination with specific therapeutic approaches, it is the growth of personalised medicine, particularly in cancer research, alongside support from regulatory agencies that are the key factors behind the increase in demand for biomarkers.
Personalised therapeutics are gaining popularity due to their ability to provide customised treatment to patients based on their genetic and medical profile. Since biomarkers help in predicting patient response to a compound, personalised medicines are increasingly using biomarkers to identify the patient population set that is more likely to respond to a particular drug therapy. Personalised medicines are also increasingly being used along with targeted cancer therapies, and as personalised medicines gain more importance and popularity, the demand for suitable companion biomarkers is also expected to increase.
Dr Satu Vainikka, CEO, commented: “I am delighted we have received the US patent office’s approval for our gene biomarkers’ activity. This grant significantly strengthens our patent portfolio and it is a particularly pleasing endorsement, coming as it does from under the rigorous scrutiny of the US patent authorities.
“I am very pleased by the continuing validation of our technologies and of our approach to therapeutics and biomarkers themselves and I believe this patent grant further underlines the importance of a genetic approach to themanagement and detection of oncological diseases.”
