Panbela announces issuance of key patent in Japan

Panbela Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharma company developing therapeutics for the treatment of patients with cancer, announced an Issue Notification for patent JP 7232845 titled “METHODS FOR PRODUCING (6S,15S)-3,8,13,18- TETRAAZAICOSANE-6,15-DIOL”. This patent developed in collaboration with Syngene International, an integrated research, development, and manufacturing services company, claims a novel process with a reduced number of synthetic steps from seventeen to six to produce SBP-101, a lead investigational product. The patent is valid till 2039.

Dr Jennifer K Simpson, President & CEO, Panbela Therapeutics, commented, “We’re excited to receive the issuance of this patent in Japan. Expansion of our patent portfolio further supports our global clinical programs. First issued in the US, this patent covers a shorter synthesis of SBP-101, which provides many benefits including: 1) the ability to manufacture product with a reduced lead time 2) quicker access to drug supply facilitating expansion into additional indications and 3) enables a scalable, efficient and cost-effective manufacturing process for future commercialisation. This patent is the outcome of the dedicated efforts of our valued long-term partner Syngene International in helping us achieve this important goal.”

Jonathan Hunt, MD and CEO, Syngene International, said, “We have been partnering with Panbela for the last decade, and I am proud of the work achieved through the successful collaboration. In this case, reducing the number of steps in production from seventeen to six, thus simplifying the manufacturing process and making future commercialization faster, means that the drug will reach patients more quickly.  The issuance of a patent in the US in 2021 and now in Japan for SBP-101 are significant milestones.”

Dr Simpson added, “The company expects to continue innovation and patent portfolio building to support our clinical programs. This process in this patent utilises a pharmaceutical starting material that is widely available, assuring the company of drug supply moving forward.”

Panbela’s pipeline consists of assets currently in clinical trials with an initial focus on familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), first-line metastatic pancreatic cancer, neoadjuvant pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer prevention and ovarian cancer. The combined development programs have a steady cadence of catalysts with programs ranging from pre-clinical to registration studies.

Ivospemin (SBP-101)

Ivospemin is a proprietary polyamine analogue designed to induce polyamine metabolic inhibition (PMI) by exploiting an observed high affinity of the compound for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and other tumors. It has shown signals of tumor growth inhibition in clinical studies of metastatic pancreatic cancer patients, demonstrating a median overall survival (OS) of 14.6 months and an objective response rate (ORR) of 48%, both exceeding what is typical for the standard of care of gemcitabine + nab-paclitaxel suggesting potential complementary activity with the existing FDA-approved standard chemotherapy regimen. In data evaluated from clinical studies to date, ivospemin has not shown exacerbation of bone marrow suppression and peripheral neuropathy, which can be chemotherapy-related adverse events. Serious visual adverse events have been evaluated and patients with a history of retinopathy or at risk of retinal detachment will be excluded from future SBP-101 studies. The safety data and PMI profile observed in the previous Panbela-sponsored clinical trials provide support for continued evaluation of ivospemin in the ASPIRE trial.

Flynpovi

Flynpovi is a combination of CPP-1X (eflornithine) and sulindac with a dual mechanism inhibiting polyamine synthesis and increase polyamine export and catabolism. In a Phase 3 clinical trial in patients with sporadic large bowel polyps, the combination prevented > 90% subsequent pre-cancerous sporadic adenomas versus placebo. Focusing on FAP patients with lower gastrointestinal tract anatomy in the recent Phase 3 trial comparing Flynpovi to single agent eflornithine and single agent sulindac, FAP patients with lower GI anatomy (patients with an intact colon, retained rectum or surgical pouch), Flynpovi showed statistically significant benefit compared to both single agents (p≤0.02) in delaying surgical events in the lower GI for up to four years. The safety profile for Flynpovi did not significantly differ from the single agents and supports the continued evaluation of Flynpovi for FAP.

CPP-1X

CPP-1X (eflornithine) is being developed as a single agent tablet or high dose power sachet for several indications including prevention of gastric cancer, treatment of neuroblastoma and recent onset Type 1 diabetes. Preclinical studies as well as Phase 1 or Phase 2 investigator-initiated trials suggest that CPP-1X treatment may be well-tolerated and has potential activity.