By Christopher P. Singer --
In a November 27, 2006 press release Cytogen announced
that U.S. Patent No. 7,135,457 issued for oral drug delivery agents that are random
peptide compositions that bind to gastro-intestinal tract (GIT) transport
receptors. These agents aid in the
transport of active agents from the lumen of mammalian GIT into the circulatory
system and/or target active agents to the GIT. Cytogen is seeking partnerships for oral drug delivery based on its
preclinical models as well as successful in vivo delivery results of insulin
and leuprolide in animal models. The
company hopes that these delivery agents can be utilized to make more drugs
available for oral administration, particularly drugs currently administered
via injection.
The '457 patent claims priority to a U.S. Provisional Patent Application filed on May 15, 1997. Briefly, the patent claims relate to compositions, pharmaceutical compositions, and nano- or microparticles comprising various chimeric or purified proteins, or portions thereof of at least six contiguous amino acids, that mediate binding to the human intestinal peptide-associated transporter, HPT1. As recited in the claims, the chimeric or purified proteins are bound to various active agents. Representative independent Claim 1 recites:
1. A composition comprising a purified protein which specifically binds to the gastro-intestinal tract receptor HPT1 (SEQ ID NO:178), wherein the purified protein is bound to a material comprising an active agent selected from the group consisting of an imaging agent, a drug, and an antigen, and wherein the protein comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:50 or a portion thereof of at least 6 contiguous amino acids that mediates binding to HPT1.
More information regarding this technology as well as
Cytogen's other technology platforms can be found at
www.cytogen.com.
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