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Tonix Pharmaceuticals Announces Issuance of U.S. Patent for Use of TNX-1700, a Stabilized Recombinant Form of Trefoil Factor 2 (TFF2), for Treating Gastric and Pancreatic Cancers
CHATHAM, N.J., Nov. 15, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. (Nasdaq: TNXP) (Tonix or the Company), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical
About this update from Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp.
[{"type":"text","content":"CHATHAM, N.J., Nov. 15, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. (Nasdaq: TNXP) (Tonix or the Company), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued U.S. Patent No. 11,167,010 on November 9, 2021. The patent, entitled “Trefoil Family Factor Proteins and Uses Thereof,” includes claims directed to an isolated polypeptide comprising a carboxy-terminal (CTP) domain of the beta subunit of the human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) fused to a TFF2 protein (TFF2-CTP). This patent, excluding possible patent term extensions, is expected to provide U.S. market exclusivity until April 2, 2033. TNX-1700* is a stabilized recombinant modified form of Trefoil Family Factor 2, or rTFF2, which Tonix licensed from Columbia University in 2019. Tonix is developing the biologic to treat gastric and pancreatic cancers. TFF2 is a small, secreted protein, expressed in gastrointestinal mucosa where it functions to protect and repair mucosa. TFF2 is also expressed at low levels in splenic immune cells and is now appreciated to have intravascular roles in spleen and in the tumor microenvironment. In gastric cancer, TFF2 is epigenetically silenced, therefore, TFF2 is suggested to be protective against cancer development through several mechanisms. In 2020, data from a preclinical study were presented which investigated the role of PD-L1 in colorectal tumorigenesis and evaluated the utility of targeting myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) with TFF2-CTP in combination with PD-1 blockade in mouse models of colorectal cancer. The data showed that anti-PD-1 monotherapy was unable to evoke anti-tumor immunity in this model of colorectal cancer, but TFF2-CTP augmented the efficacy of anti-PD-1 therapy. Anti-PD-1 in combination with TFF2-CTP showed greater anti-tumor activity in PD-L1-overexpressing mice. *TNX-1700 is an investigational new biologic at the pre-IND stage of development and has not been approved for any indication. About Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. Tonix is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, licensing, acquiring and developing therapeutics and diagnostics to treat and prevent human disease and alleviate suffering. Tonix’s portfolio is primarily composed of immunology and central nervous system (CNS) product candidates. Tonix’s...