Arrowhead Announces the Issuance of Patent Covering a New Approach to Targeted Therapeutics

Arrowhead Research Corporation has announced the U.S. Patent Office has issued U.S. Patent 7,018,609, Compositions Containing Inclusion Complexes.

The patent is co-owned by the California Institute of Technology and Arrowhead's majority-owned subsidiary, Insert Therapeutics.

In addition to covering applications pursued by Insert, the technology is licensed for use in RNAi therapeutics to Calando Pharmaceuticals, another majority-owned subsidiary of Arrowhead.

The patent claims cover methods of preparing new therapeutic compositions by assembling drug agents, cyclodextrin-containing polymers and compounds that provide stabilization and targeting abilities.

The assembly of the new compositions occurs through the formation of inclusion complexes between the cyclodextrin-containing polymers and the stabilizing/targeting agents.

These interactions do not involve the formation of strong chemical bonds and thus provide new ways of PEGylating and targeting that distinguish this technology from other patented approaches to the stabilization and targeting of small molecule, protein and nucleic acid therapeutics.

"The PTO's decision to allow the claims set forth in the patent strengthens our competitive position as we bring both small molecule therapeutics (Insert) and RNAi therapeutics (Calando) to market," said R. Bruce Stewart, Arrowhead's Chairman.

"Arrowhead intends to maintain focus on creating barriers to entry through patent protection in these key technology areas."

Patent 7,018,609 is part of a growing portfolio of U.S. and international patents and patent applications protecting technology being developed at Arrowhead subsidiaries.

Insert recently obtained FDA approval to commence a Phase I clinical trial for its first anti-cancer product, IT-101. Calando recently announced collaboration with the National Cancer Institute to develop RNAi for cancer therapeutics.