BioAxone BioSciences Inc has received a Notice of Allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), it announces.
The notice covers the critical patent application (US 16/321,229) for the proprietary method of treatment of spinal cord injury with BA-434, a novel sd-rxRNA compound that targets transient, non-permanent PTEN suppression to promote axon regeneration and reduce paralysis.
Scientists suggest that suppression of the protein PTEN could help promote regeneration of damaged axons. PTEN is also important in surveillance and defense against unwanted cell growth, including protection from cancer. However, until now the development of inhibitors to promote axon regeneration have focused on methods that permanently silence PTEN, a media release from the company explains.
“BA-434 is a therapeutically relevant drug candidate that overcomes the challenge of other PTEN inhibitors which deliver permanent suppression.
“Our drug candidate delivers transient PTEN suppression that is robust in the model systems used in preclinical testing. We look forward to continued exploration of the opportunity to allow for axon regeneration to help serve this unmet need of patients with spinal cord injury.”
— Lisa McKerracher, PhD, CEO, BioAxone BioSciences
BA-434 is BioAxone’s novel self-delivering RNA interference compound that reduces expression of PTEN, a protein that blocks axon regeneration in adult neurons. Research for development of BA-434 was supported by NIH Small Business Innovation Research grants.
[Source(s): BioAxone Biosciences Inc, Business Wire]