As soon as it hits the market, a new formulation for bowel cancer has the potential to ease the way the cancer is treated. Its availability is closer now that the European Patent Office has granted patent rights to its inventors.

The novel formulation, called Fluorodex, was developed “to address key adverse events associated with current treatment regimens that are used to combat metastatic colorectal cancer.”

"Many colorectal cancer patients cannot tolerate existing 'standard of care' treatments, which leads to interruption or discontinuation of therapy," Professor Philip Clingan, co-inventor of the patent, said.

"The main benefit of Fluorodex is the ability to deliver an effective chemotherapeutic regimen that patients can tolerate over repeated treatment cycles."

The formulation for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer was developed by researchers from the University of Wollongong in Australia. It has been granted patent rights by the European Patent Office, which could speed up its availability to patients with the cancer, by giving it a “significant value boost.”

The granted EP patent (No. 2131849) will assist UOW and its commercialization partner UniQuest in ongoing discussions with potential industry partners, who are evaluating the technology for clinical testing.

Earlier in 2011, the research group received a favorable review of a proposed clinical treatment protocol from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration which further clarified the steps needed to take Fluorodex through the clinical trial phase.

Dr Gavin Dixon, UOW's Commercialisation Manager (Health and Science), said the European Patent Office has a particularly gruelling examination process.

"European patents for Australian innovations not only re-affirm the high quality of local research - they help improve the risk profile of the commercial opportunity for potential investors and licensees as the technology progresses to a clinical trial program and market launch."

Professor Clingan, John Bremner¸ Emeritus Professor at UOW's School of Chemistry, and Dr Julie Locke are the co-inventors on the patent. Fluorodex arose from research conducted in collaboration with Associate Professor Marie Ranson and Dr Tamantha Stutchbury between 2003 and 2010.

Clingan and Ranson are both directors of the Cancer Continuum Research Program at the Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute.

SOURCE: University of Wollongong