BioLineRx, a biopharmaceutical development company, has received notification from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for US Patent  No. 8,455,450, which claims the use of BL-8040's composition for obtaining hematopoietic precursor cells (e.g. stem cells) for use in bone marrow transplantation.

The issued patent has a term extending to November 2029. This patent is part of BL-8040's expanding patent portfolio, which includes an additional six issued patents on the composition of matter and 29 patent applications on new indications, granted or pending worldwide, providing a strong intellectual property estate around BL-8040.

"We are pleased that the USPTO has issued this patent for a method of obtaining stem cells by administering BL-8040, which further strengthens the patent position we have for this promising compound," stated Dr Kinneret Savitsky, chief executive officer of BioLineRx. "BL-8040 is currently undergoing a phase 2 trial for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia, partial results of which are expected towards the end of this year. Robust patent protection provides the foundation to pursue multiple additional oncological and hematological indications," concluded Dr. Savitsky.

BL-8040 is a clinical-stage drug candidate for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia, as well as other types of hematological cancers. It is a short peptide that functions as a high-affinity antagonist for CXCR4, a chemokine receptor that is directly involved in tumor progression, angiogenesis (growth of new blood vessels in the tumor), metastasis (spread of the disease to other organs or organ parts) and cell survival. CXCR4 is over-expressed in more than 70% of human cancers and its expression often correlates with disease severity. In a phase 1/2, open-label, dose escalation, safety and efficacy clinical trial in 18 multiple myeloma patients, BL-8040 demonstrated an excellent safety profile at all doses tested and was highly effective in the mobilization of hematopoietic stem cells and white blood cells from the bone marrow to the peripheral blood.

BL-8040 also mobilizes cancer cells from the bone marrow and other sites and may therefore sensitize these cells to chemo- and bio-based anti-cancer therapy. It has also demonstrated a direct anti-cancer effect by inducing apoptosis (cell death). Pre-clinical studies show that BL-8040 is efficient, both alone and in combination with the anti-cancer drug Rituximab, in reducing bone marrow metastasis of lymphoma cells and stimulating lymphoma cell death. BL-8040 was licensed by BioLineRx from Biokine Therapeutics and was previously developed under the name BKT-140.

BioLineRx is a publicly-traded biopharmaceutical development company dedicated to building a portfolio of products for unmet medical needs, as well as those with advantages over currently available therapies.