Press Release
St. Genis-Pouilly, France, 09 March 2023
Step Pharma, the world leader in CTPS1 inhibition for the targeted treatment of cancer, today announces that the European Patent Office (”EPO”) has granted patent EP3870574, which covers key compounds in the Company’s broad portfolio of CTPS1 inhibitor assets. The granting of this patent strengthens the Company’s patent portfolio covering its CTPS1 inhibitor assets, which is currently protected by a range of published and unpublished patent families.
By targeting CTPS1, an enzyme that catalyses a rate-limiting step in pyrimidine synthesis, Step Pharma has unlocked the ability to selectively inhibit the de novo pyrimidine synthesis pathway, enabling a highly selective treatment of cancer.
EP3870574 has a filing date of October 2019 and could protect this technical space until October 2039, with a potential for further extensions depending on the timing of future regulatory approvals. The patent will be validated in a number of strategically important countries across Europe.
Andrew Parker, Chief Executive Officer of Step Pharma, commented:
“The European patent granted to Step Pharma for key CTPS1 inhibitor compounds provides further protection for our pioneering research into CTPS1 biology. Our broad portfolio of CTPS1 inhibitors with its proprietary chemistry has the potential to bring a step change in cancer treatment with one asset, STP938, already in Phase 1/2 trials for T cell and B cell lymphoma.”
Contacts
Step Pharma
Andrew Parker, Chief Executive Officer
contact@step-ph.com
Media Relations
Consilium Strategic Communications
Amber Fennell, Namrata Taak, Stella Lempidaki
T. +44 (0) 20 3709 5700
steppharma@consilium-comms.com
About Step Pharma
Step Pharma’s goal is to bring about a step change in how cancer is treated with targeted therapies that kill cancer cells and leave healthy cells unharmed. The Company is the world leader in CTPS1 inhibition, a new approach with the potential to yield highly selective, safe and effective treatments for both blood cancers and solid tumours.
The Company’s lead asset, STP938, has received both IND and CTA clearance to proceed into first in human trials in the US and UK for the treatment of T cell and B cell lymphomas. Clinical trials in lymphoma commenced in September 2022. STP938 has the potential to be the backbone of a multitude of cancer therapies as well as a potent monotherapy for hard-to-treat blood cancers.
Step Pharma was founded in 2014 by Kurma Partners, the Imagine Institute and Sygnature Discovery, based on the scientific discoveries of Prof. Alain Fischer and Dr Sylvain Latour. Step Pharma is based in Saint-Genis-Pouilly, France, and is supported by a strong syndicate of investors led by Kurma Partners and including Bpifrance (Fonds Biothérapies Innovantes et Maladies Rares and InnoBio2 Fund), Pontifax, Hadean Ventures, Sunstone Life Science Ventures, Inserm Transfert Initiative, Idinvest, Sygnature Discovery and the Imagine Institute. More information on the company can be found at www.step-ph.com.
