The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted Cleave Biosciences a key patent providing the protection of intellectual property covering its lead molecule CB-5083.

This newly issued patent, "Fused pyrimidines and substituted quinazolines as inhibitors of p97," U.S. 9,062,026, allows for claims on the composition of matter of CB-5083, a first-in-class, highly selective oral inhibitor of p97, a critical enzyme that controls various aspects of protein homeostasis. Cleave is currently evaluating CB-5083 as an anti-cancer agent in two phase 1 studies, one in patients with multiple myeloma and one in patients with solid tumours.

"This patent is a clear demonstration of the innovative nature of CB-5083 and builds the value of our proprietary compound," said Laura Shawver, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Cleave Biosciences.

Biopharmaceutical company Cleave Biosciences is a pioneer in the discovery and development of drugs that target protein homeostasis systems and have the potential to transform the treatment of people with difficult to treat solid tumours and hematologic malignancies.