4SC Obtains Key Patent for Anti-Cancer Compound Resminostat in Europe

4SC AG has announced that the company has significantly enhanced the patent protection for its lead anti-cancer compound resminostat.

The European Patent Office has published a so called Notice of Intention to Grant pursuant to Rule 71(3) EPC (European Patent Convention) regarding the composition-of-matter patent for resminostat.

Thus the grant of this key patent for the whole European market is now imminent.

The patent, having a broad extent of protection, covers the composition of matter of resminostat, pharmaceutical compositions comprising resminostat, and its therapeutic use in cancer and other therapeutic areas in the contracting and extension states of the EPC.

Thus patent protection for resminostat is complete in all key global markets, with composition-of-matter patents either having being granted already or with patent grant being imminent in China, Europe, India, Japan, Russia, South Korea, and the US.

Dr. Ulrich Dauer, Chief Executive Officer of 4SC AG, commented: 'We are very pleased to obtain this key patent for our lead anti-cancer compound resminostat in our home and core market Europe. This bolsters our competitive position in this large and highly developed pharmaceutical market, which is commercially very important for the development of resminostat in the indication of liver cancer (HCC) and potentially many other tumour indications. After we have published excellent overall survival data from a Phase II trial in patients with advanced HCC in autumn 2012, we are currently in talks with potential partners and regulatory agencies to prepare a global registration trial with resminostat in this indication. We believe that the European composition-of-matter patent, which completes patent protection for resminostat on a worldwide scale, will serve to further advance the successful progress of these talks with potential partners.'