ME Therapeutics Holdings Inc. a publicly listed biotechnology company working on novel cancer fighting drugs in the field of immuno-oncology, is pleased to announce its subsidiary, ME Therapeutics Inc., has secured a U.S. patent for its lead G-CSF antibody candidate, as it continues to advance its broader drug development and discovery programs for cancer.

“We are pleased with the business and scientific progress we have made across our pipeline as we work towards bringing novel immuno-oncology drugs to patients worldwide who today have limited treatment options,” said Salim Dhanji, CEO of ME Therapeutics. “This quarter we reached several key milestones for our lead G-CSF antibody candidate that keep us on our pathway to the clinic, including securing a U.S. patent and moving forward cell line development in preparation for Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). We also continued to progress our therapeutic mRNA and in vivo CAR programs through preclinical testing and discovery research.”

U.S. patent received

ME Therapeutics has received US Patent No. 12,421,308 from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for its G-CSF antibody candidate. The patent protects the amino acid sequence of the antibody candidate and its therapeutic use for cancer treatment in the United States. The antibody candidate, also known as H1B11-12, is a humanized biological drug formulated to target and block G-CSF, a glycoprotein cytokine known to drive immune suppression in the tumour microenvironment.

The U.S. patent marks the second international patent ME Therapeutics has received for the G-CSF antibody candidate. In 2023, ME Therapeutics also received a patent from the China National Intellectual Property Administration.

Other highlights:

• Antibody candidate cell line development: To support clinical trial regulatory meetings, ME Therapeutics is progressing cell line development to meet Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) standards. Work at the contract research organization has identified candidate cell lines demonstrating robust antibody production and stability. Next steps will involve continued testing of the antibody characteristics prior to choosing a lead clone for the development of a GMP master cell bank.
• Therapeutic mRNA candidates preclinical testing: The Company’s therapeutic mRNA program is advancing through preclinical testing, with the lead therapeutic mRNA candidate tested in vivo. To date, results show the lead therapeutic mRNA candidate leads to immune cell recruitment into the tumour microenvironment (TME). ME Therapeutics now intends to initiate a study to test the lead candidate in a mouse colon cancer model, both alone and in combination with an immune checkpoint inhibitor. Meanwhile, their second therapeutic mRNA candidate has demonstrated strong T cell activation in vitro. This candidate will continue to be advanced through further in vitro testing.
• In vivo CAR program discovery: ME Therapeutics is also progressing its in vivo CAR program through the discovery stage. This next-generation approach delivers genetic instructions directly into a patient’s body to reprogram cells within the TME. The Company has confirmed in vitro activity of its tumour-targeted CARs and plans to conduct further in vitro testing before exploring in vivo testing.
• Expanded research team: ME Therapeutics continues to grow its research and development capabilities with the addition of two new associate research scientists. This positions the company to move its lead antibody candidate towards clinical trials as well as accelerate progress for its broader drug development and discovery programs.