Kitov Pharma Receives Notice of Intention to Grant European Patent Covering the Use of NT-219 in Combination with EGFR Inhibitors

On January 24, 2020 Kitov Pharma Ltd. ("Kitov") (NASDAQ/TASE: KTOV), a clinical-stage company advancing first-in-class therapies to overcome tumor immune evasion and drug resistance, reported receipt from the European Patent Office (EPO) of a Notice of Intention to Grant for its patent application entitled "Combinations of IRS/STAT3 Dual Modulators and Anti-Cancer Agents for Treating Cancer (Press release, Kitov Pharmaceuticals , JAN 24, 2020, View Source [SID1234553552])." The patent, which expires in 2036, covers the treatment of NT-219, the company’s novel dual inhibitor of IRS 1/2 and STAT3, in combination with EGFR antibodies and inhibitors.

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Kitov is currently advancing NT-219 in combination with cetuximab, an EGFR antibody, as a second-line or third-line therapy for the treatment of recurrent and metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the Head & Neck Cancer (SCCHN). Kitov plans to initiate a phase 1/2 study in the second quarter of 2020.

"We believe strongly in our rationale for combining NT-219 with cetuximab and we are very pleased with this new addition to our patent estates in Europe," said Isaac Israel, Kitov’s chief executive officer. "Cetuximab is currently the only targeted FDA-approved treatment option for patients with a progressed disease following both prior platinum-based therapy and pembrolizumab. NT-219 has the potential to prevent tumor resistance and re-sensitize tumors to the anti-cancer activity of EGFR inhibitors, making this combination a very attractive drug candidate that will hopefully address the unmet medical need for recurrent and metastatic Head and Neck cancer patients."