MagForce Granted European Patent for Nanoparticle-Drug Conjugates
MagForce AG, a leading medical technology company in the field of nanomedicine in oncology, announced today that the Company has been granted a further European patent for its NanoTherm® therapy, for which the opposition period has now expired.
Patent EP 1871423 B1 relates to a new generation of NanoTherm® particles in the form of nanoparticle-drug conjugates, which are suitable for drug delivery systems. Nanoparticle-drug conjugates inside a tumor can be heated selectively by an alternating magnetic field leading to a temperature-dependent release of the drug inside the tumor tissue producing a high local drug concentration. Additionally the known synergistic effects of chemotherapy in combination with hyperthermia can be utilized.
"The locally limited and externally controllable drug release by means of the now patent-protected conjugates is expected to clearly reduce the mostly considerable side-effects of conventional chemotherapeutic agents. Combining thermotherapy with nanoparticle-bound chemotherapy could also substantially increase the effectiveness of the chemotherapeutic agent in tumor treatment and reduce the number of nanoparticles required to destroy the cancer cells," commented Prof. Dr. Hoda Tawfik, COO and co-CEO of MagForce. "We are very pleased to have been granted a further patent for our NanoTherm® therapy. By expanding our patent portfolio we will improve protection of our intellectual property and strengthen our competitive position."
About NanoTherm® Therapy
The NanoTherm® Therapy is a new approach for the local treatment of solid tumors. The principle of the method is the direct introduction of superparamagnetic nanoparticles into a tumor and their subsequent heating in an alternating magnetic field. The nanoparticles are extremely small (approximately 15 nanometers in diameter) and contain an iron oxide core with an aminosilane coating. The particles are activated by a magnetic field that changes its polarity 100,000 times per second, and heat is produced. Depending on the duration of treatment and the achieved intratumoral temperatures, the tumor cells are either directly destroyed (thermal ablation) or sensitized for concomitant chemotherapy or radiotherapy (hyperthermia). With this new therapeutic approach, it is possible to combat the tumor from the inside out, thereby sparing surrounding healthy tissue. The nanoparticles remain in place at the treatment area, allowing for repeat treatments and the integration of multimodal therapy concepts. NanoTherm® Therapy has regulatory approval in 27 European countries.
Source: http://www.magforce.de/