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Medicenna Strengthens Empowered Cytokine(TM) Platform with Notice of Allowance of US Patent
Medicenna Strengthens Empowered Cytokine™ Platform with Notice of Allowance of US P...
About this update from Medicenna Therapeutics Corp.
[{"type":"text","content":"\n\n\n\nMedicenna Strengthens Empowered Cytokine™ Platform with Notice of Allowance of US Patent\n\n/* Style Definitions */\nspan.prnews_span\n{\nfont-size:8pt;\nfont-family:\"Arial\";\ncolor:black;\n}\na.prnews_a\n{\ncolor:blue;\n}\nli.prnews_li\n{\nfont-size:8pt;\nfont-family:\"Arial\";\ncolor:black;\n}\np.prnews_p\n{\nfont-size:0.62em;\nfont-family:\"Arial\";\ncolor:black;\nmargin:0in;\n}\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nCanada NewsWire\nTORONTO and HOUSTON, July 25, 2018\n\n\n\nTORONTO and HOUSTON, July 25, 2018 /CNW/ - Medicenna Therapeutics Corp. (\"Medicenna\" or the \"Company\") (TSX: MDNA, OTCQX: MDNAF), a clinical stage immunotherapy company, developing first-in-class Empowered Cytokines™ and Superkines, today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued a Notice of Allowance related to the Company's MDNA57 program. The allowed patent (\"Interleukin-4 receptor-binding fusion proteins and uses thereof\") issued to Medicenna covers the composition of engineered interleukin-4 (\"IL-4\") Superkines coupled to potent fully human cytotoxic payloads.\n\n\"The issuance of this patent provides solid support for our strategy of maximizing the value of our platform by combining Superkines with fully human payloads to create Empowered Cytokines™ with a unique ability to simultaneously target the tumor, its immunosuppressive micro-environment and cancer stem cells,\" said Dr. Fahar Merchant, Chairman, President and CEO of Medicenna. \n\nThe IL-4 receptor (\"IL-4R\") is an attractive target for the development of MDNA57, as it is frequently and intensely expressed by over 20 different types of solid and hematological cancers corresponding to an annual incidence of over a million IL-4R positive cancers. Furthermore, over-expression of the IL-4R is frequently associated with poor survival outcomes in various cancers including mesothelioma, bladder and pancreatic cancer and targeting the IL-4R in such indications may help in addressing serious unmet needs in oncology.\n\nEmpowered Cytokines™ covered under the patent represent next-generation versions of our lead clinical candidate MDNA55, currently in Phase 2 clinical development for recurrent glioblastoma, by combining the unique features of Superkines with a fully-human pro-apoptotic payload.  IL-4 Empowered Cytokines™ have the p...