GenSpera awarded patent for prospective prostate cancer drug

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued a new patent to GenSpera Inc. to cover the intellectual property on the company’s second anti-cancer drug compound currently in development.

The patent 7,635,682 covers GenSpera’s drug G-115 — which is activated in prostate tumors by an enzyme. In preclinical testing, G-115 was shown to inhibit the growth of tumors in animal models of prostate cancer. Obtaining the patent rights to this drug is key as GenSpera seeks formal Food and Drug Administration approval.

GenSpera’s President and CEO Craig Dionne says that the term of the patent will extend into 2026. This will give the company time to enter into discussions with future development partners.

San Antonio-based GenSpera is a development stage oncology company with a technology platform that delivers drugs directly into tumors.