Lorus Anticancer Vaccine Receives Mexican Patent

[RandyW]

Lorus Anticancer Vaccine Receives Mexican Patent

7/9/2008 1:57 PM ET

Lorus Therapeutics Inc. (LRP) Wednesday indicated progress in the Virulizin development program, with the online publication of two research studies on the Virulizin mode of action in the journal Cancer Immunology Immunotherapy. Lorus said it was issued a new patent for the anticancer vaccine Virulizin in Mexico.

As per the new patent, cancers including Ovarian and Lung cancers could now be treated with Virulizin. Virulizin is currently approved in Mexico for treatment of malignant melanoma and now extends the patent protection to 2016.

Under an earlier patent of 2003 issued to Lorus in Mexico, Virulizin composition, manufacturing process, and use in the treatment of cancers were also protected. Lorus has similar patents in countries including Canada, Australia, and the United States.

In a Phase III clinical trial of Virulizin in combination with gemcitabine in locally advanced and metastatic pancreatic cancer, Lorus reported that the overall survival data did not reach statistical significance, although exploratory analysis yielded promising results in specific patient populations including in patients with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0 or 1.

Virulizin is a biological response modifier that stimulates a patient's immune system through mechanisms, including the activation of macrophages and the infiltration of natural killer cells into tumors. In preclinical studies, Virulizin has demonstrated potential high levels of antitumor activity against a number of cancer indications including pancreatic cancer.

In April 2008, Lorus' subsidiary GeneSense Technologies entered into an exclusive multinational license agreement for Virulizin with Zor Pharmaceuticals LLC to further develop and commercialize Virulizin for advanced pancreatic cancer and other therapy areas in North and South America, Europe, and Israel.

LRP is currently trading at $0.13, up $0.02 or 18.07%, on a volume of 0.12 million shares.

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