Ore Pharmaceuticals is seeking a partner for its Melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) antagonist program. This program includes two lead compounds from different chemical series, designated GL7001 and GL7002, two precursor molecules, and approximately 1400 additional structures. Both lead compounds have good selectivity and show favorable distribution to the brain (brain:plasma >1), where the target is physiologically active. Both compounds also met a large pharmaceutical company’s molecular pharmacology and PK criteria for early development candidates, but neither compound has been tested in chronic animal models or undergone toxicology testing.
Cancer Cachexia Market
Severe weight loss is associated with anorexia, eating disorders, HIV wasting, cancer cachexia, and sarcopenia. The incidence of cachexia and related indications (sarcopenia, catabolic illness, cancer cachexia, cardiac cachexia, anorexia, and HIV wasting) is ~16 million, of which sarcopenia is the largest (9 million/yr), followed by catabolic illness (5.5 million/yr) and cancer cachexia (0.5 million/yr). Therapies in this market had 2001 US sales of $140 M. The estimated direct health care cost attributable to sarcopenia alone in the US in 2000 was $18.5 billion.
Cancer cachexia is defined as the unintentional loss of over 5% of a patient's original lean body weight because of cancer that results in weakness, fatigue, immobility, and death. It is estimated that cachexia is responsible for more than 20% of all cancer-related deaths. Current therapeutic options include Megace, dexamethasone, and fluoxymesterone (anabolic steroid), but are mostly ineffective and new drugs are urgently needed. There are no current FDA-approved drugs for the treatment for cancer cachexia.
Intellectual Property
Ore Pharmaceuticals owns and controls through assignment from Millennium Pharmaceuticals, the composition of matter Antagonist patent rights claimed in US Patent #6,699,873 and US Patent Application #2004/0082779. In addition, Ore Pharmaceuticals has a license to the related MC4 research tool patents (US Patent #5,908,609; #5,932,779; #6,287,763; Application #2003/0171295) including screening, method of treatment, diagnostics and knock-out mice in the field of wasting disorders.
Partnering
Ore Pharmaceuticals is interested in licensing its MC4 antagonist program to a pharmaceutical company which will initiate the testing of the most promising compounds from pre-clinical safety testing through human clinical trials. Ore Pharmaceuticals is prepared to offer an exclusive, royalty bearing license to the patent rights pertaining to the small molecule MC4R antagonists for the treatment of wasting disorders including: cachexia (including cancer), sarcopenia and anorexia. In addition, Ore Pharmaceuticals is prepared to offer a non-exclusive, non-royalty bearing license to certain patent rights related to the MCR4 target including: screening, method of treatment, diagnostics and knock-out mice in the field of wasting disorders.
For further information on this opportunity, please contact:
John Herrmann
Vice President, Strategic Alliances & Licensing
240-361-4427
jherrmann@orepharma.com
