| Responsible Regional Contact Point | |
|---|---|
| Organisation: | BAYERN INNOVATIV - BAVARIA |
| Contact person: | Dr. Borris Haupt |
| Contact details: | haupt@bayern-innovativ.de +49 91120671175 |
| Organisation Details | |
| Founded (Year): | 2001 |
| No of employees: | 11-50 |
| Organisation Type: | Company |
| Company (Organisation) details | |
| Our company, established in Bavaria, advises public life-science research institutions, universities, hospitals, freelance inventors and companies in all aspects of intellectual property asset management. Our range of services: Identifying commercially attractive inventions Scanning publications for patent-relevant content Technology audits and portfolio management Supporting inventors Evaluating the commercial potential of inventions and technologies (NPV) Developing patent protection strategies Accompanying the patenting process Developing commercialisation strategies: licensing, cooperation, start-ups Finding industrial partners; negotiating research, service and licensing agreements Coaching and advising company founders Active management of company equity Checking cooperation agreements for sections relating to patent protection Consistent follow up to ensure that agreements are being observed Finding and prosecuting patent infringements | |
| Areas of activity: | |
| - Medicine, Human Health - Biology/Biotechnology - Genome Research | |
| 1) Technology Offer | |
| Chimeric Oligonucleotides as potent Inhibitors of Human Telomerase | |
| ABSTRACT: The technology relates to Chimeric Oligonucleotides (cODNs) as a new type of telomerase inhibitors and cancer drugs. cODNs contain a phosphorthioate modified random sequence and a differently modified oligomer with a base sequence complementary to the telomerase RNA. Upon binding to two different sites of the telomerase enzyme, namely the RNA template and a telomerase protein motif efficient inhibition of enzymatic activity was shown in in vitro and in vivo experiments. DESCRIPTION: Telomerase activation is necessary for most cancer cells to replicate indefinitely and thereby enables tumour growth and metastasis. Furthermore, the enzyme prevents shortening of telomeres in cancer cells and protects them from genomic instability and other forms of cellular stress. These features turn the enzyme into a potent target for cancer therapy. cODNS are a new type of telomerase inhibitors, containing a phosphorthioate modified random sequence and a differently modified oligomer with a base sequence complementary to the telomerase RNA. Upon binding to two different sides of the Telomerase, namely the RNA template and a telomerase protein motif, enzyme activity can be turned down. Based on this mode of action, cODN represent a novel oligonucleotide-based drug for cancer therapy. In vitro experiments with glioblastoma cells have been done in which cODNs showed to be more effective inhibitors of telomerase than conventional, non-chimeric ODNs directed against telomerase RNA. As an example, phosphorothioate-peptide nucleic acids chimeras (PS-PNAs) inhibited telomerase (ID50), even 3 days after transfection, at a concentration of 0.07-0.1 ΅M. In vivo assays on xenografted glioblastoma showed promising results. The intraperitoneally injected cODNs reached the human U-87 glioblastoma in mice, entered the tumour cells and displayed anti-telomerase activity up to 50-75%. INNOVATIVE ASPECTS: The aim of the technology is to improve Telomerase-dependent cancer therapy by novel oligonucleotide-based drugs, taking advantage of specific Telomerase attachment sites. MAIN ADVANTADGES / BENEFITS: Increased efficiency in Telomerase inhibition in comparison to non-chimeric Oligonucleotides Preliminary Proof-of-concept available in a first set of in vivo studies. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: CURRENT STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT: Development Phase INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS (IPR): Patent registered (DE, CH, ES, FR, IT, GB, NL, SE) Applications pending in US and JP. TYPE OF COLLABORATION SOUGHT: License Agreement Technical Co-operation PARTNER PROFILE: Partner Qualification Criteria: Pharmaceutical Industry with focus on Oligonucleotide Drugs Tasks to be Performed by Partner: Pre-clinical validation Clinical development Support Provided by Your Organisation: Know-How | |
| Market application: | |
| - HUMAN/ANIMAL HEALTH - Health issue treatment | |
| Further comments | Cancer (Telomerase inhibition) |
| 2) Technology Offer | |
| Expression System for Therapy-Induceable Genes | |
| ABSTRACT: The technology relates to a promoter-gene-construct for the improvement of cancer therapy. The construct contains a promoter sensitive to chemotherapeutics linked with additional genes enhancing chemotherapy, like e.g. cytokine genes. Upon onset of chemotherapy, expression of enhancing genes can be switched on. DESCRIPTION: For the majority of tumors chemotherapy is the widely used standard treatment. Despite a series of tumor-specific and individualized therapeutic regimes there is still a pressing demand for better efficiency and for a therapeutic system with an enforced cytotoxic effect of the chemotherapeutic agent on the tumor cells. The present invention consists of promoter-gene-constructs in which the promoter drives the expression of a downstream oriented therapeutic active gene, e.g. a cytokine gene. For the transfer of the construct into the tumor cells different standard methods are applicable. After transfer of the construct the promoter will be induced by the chemotherapeutic agent a patient is treated with and thus the therapeutic active gene is expressed. As a result, the classical chemotherapeutic substance is now used in two ways: first as a cytotoxic agent and second as an inducer of therapy-relevant gene expression. The technology combines the beneficial effects of chemotherapy and gene-therapy. At best the new therapeutic approach will have a synergistic effect on the applied chemotherapy and thus no additional treatment time is required. For MDR1-Promoter-gene-construct there is in-vivo proof of concept. INNOVATIVE ASPECTS: The invention takes advantage of the efficiency of established cancer drugs and the knowledge of an enhanced efficiency of chemotherapy by help of immune stimulatory factors. In the gene-therapeutic approach both effects are linked in an improved concept of cancer therapy. MAIN ADVANTADGES / BENEFITS: System is based on well established chemotherapy drugs Synergistic effect of both therapy forms: chemotherapy and gene-therapy TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: CURRENT STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT: Development Phase INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS (IPR): The invention is protected by two patent families. The first one being granted in DE, GB, FR and Pending in US. The second one being granted in DE, GB, FR TYPE OF COLLABORATION SOUGHT: License Agreement Technical Co-operation PARTNER PROFILE: Partner Qualification Criteria: Pharmaceutical Industry with focus on gene-therapy and chemotherapy Tasks to be Performed by Partner: pre-clinical validation Clinical development Support Provided by Your Organisation: Know-How | |
| Market application: | |
| - HUMAN/ANIMAL HEALTH - Health issue treatment | |
| Further comments | Cancer Gen Therapy: promoter-gene-construct to enhance chemotherapy Chemotherapeutic |
| Entry/Update: | 2006-10-30 / 2007-09-13 |