On March 12, 2024 Genprex, Inc. ("Genprex" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: GNPX), a clinical-stage gene therapy company focused on developing life-changing therapies for patients with cancer and diabetes, reported that the Korean Patent Office has issued a Notice of Patent Grant for a broad patent that covers the use of Genprex’s lead drug candidate, Reqorsa Immunogene Therapy, in combination with anti-PD-1 and PD-L1 antibodies through 2037 (Press release, Genprex, MAR 12, 2024, View Source [SID1234641064]).

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This patent will expand on the previously granted patents in the U.S., Japan, Mexico, Russia, Australia, Chile and China to cover the use of REQORSA in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors, e.g., PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors. These patents are applicable to Genprex’s Acclaim-2 and Acclaim-3 clinical trials.

"We continue to secure exclusivity for our drug combinations of REQORSA with PD-1 antibodies, such as Keytruda and PD-L1 antibodies, such as Tecentriq, for the treatment of cancer in some of the largest markets," said Thomas Gallagher, Esq., Senior Vice President of Intellectual Property and Licensing at Genprex. "It is important that we continue to add to our global intellectual property estate and to build protection around our drug combinations as we advance REQORSA through the clinic."

The Acclaim-2 study is a Phase 1/2 clinical trial that has three portions – a Phase 1 dose escalation portion, a Phase 2a expansion portion, and a Phase 2b randomized portion. The Acclaim-2 trial uses a combination of REQORSA and Merck & Co.’s Keytruda in patients with late-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose disease has progressed after treatment with Keytruda. Patients are treated at the 0.06 mg/kg dose level in the first cohort of patients and, subject to the Acclaim-2 SRC approval, will be treated at successive dose levels of 0.09 mg/kg and 0.12 mg/kg. Genprex expects to complete enrollment in the Phase 1 dose escalation portion of the Acclaim-2 study in the second half of 2024. Genprex was granted FDA Fast Track Designation for the Acclaim-2 patient population.

The Acclaim-3 study has two portions – a Phase 1 dose escalation portion and a Phase 2 expansion portion. In November 2022 Genprex filed with the FDA the protocol for the Phase 1/2 Acclaim-3 clinical trial using a combination of REQORSA and Genentech’s Tecentriq as maintenance therapy for patients with extensive stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) who develop tumor progression after receiving Tecentriq and chemotherapy as initial standard treatment. Patients will be treated with REQORSA and Tecentriq until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity is experienced. The Phase 1 portion of the Acclaim-3 study is open for enrollment, and Genprex expects to complete the Phase 1 portion of the study by the second half of 2024. Genprex was granted FDA Fast Track Designation and Orphan Drug Designation for the Acclaim-3 patient population.