A game-changing patent has been secured in the US by Cheshire-based cancer research company, BiVictriX Therapeutics. The patent, granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), provides broad protection for the company’s lead therapeutic drug, referred to as BVX001.
BVX001 is a precision cancer therapeutic being developed by BiVictriX Therapeutics for the treatment of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) patients. This new drug works by recognizing a cancer-specific pattern on the surface of cancer cells, binding to it, and releasing its cell-killing power only within the cancer cell. The CEO of BiVictriX Therapeutics, 34-year-old Tiffany Thorn, explained that by targeting this specific pattern found only on cancer cells, the drug aims to spare patients from harmful side effects and toxicities commonly associated with other cancer treatments. This patent not only covers the treatment of AML but also extends to the treatment of any type of leukaemia with the same cancer pattern (CD7 x CD33).
Thorn, who has a personal connection to AML as her father was diagnosed with the disease, expressed her excitement about the patent grant and the potential it holds for further patent protection worldwide. Barbara Fleck, a European patent attorney, commented on the significance of the patent grant, stating that it validates BiVictriX’s Bi-Cygni® ADC technology for AML treatment and provides the company with broad US patent coverage in a competitive space.
BiVictriX Therapeutics, which employs 13 people and raised £7.5m upon its listing on London’s Alternative Investment Market (AIM) in 2021, also operates in Wales. The company plans to continue prosecuting its wider patent family in seven other jurisdictions to build a robust patent-protected portfolio.