Julu 23, 2019

George Mason University Patent with Applications to Breast Cancer Treatment Licensed by Targeted Pharmaceuticals, a Cannabinoid-Based Drug Discovery Company

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Manassas, Va. – A patent granted to George Mason University Research Foundation Inc., which describes a novel treatment method for pre-invasive breast cancer, has been exclusively licensed to Targeted Pharmaceuticals LLC, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on utilizing cannabinoids for the treatment of  oncology and central nervous system disorders.
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The patent, secured by faculty members of George Mason University’s Institute for Biohealth Innovation and licensed by Targeted Pharmaceuticals, covers autophagy inhibitors as therapeutic compounds. The intellectual property was cultivated through a completed Phase 1/2 window trial for breast ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). The trial was conducted in collaboration between Drs. Virginia Espina and Lance Liotta of George Mason University, and Dr. Kirsten Edmiston of Inova Health System (PINC trial, clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT01023477).

“The results of the PINC trial made it clear that our discovery had the potential to treat breast cancer before it spreads,” said Liotta, Co-Director & Co-Founder of the Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine and professor at George Mason University’s College of Science.

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In many conditions, such as neurodegenerative diseases, cancers, infectious diseases, and metabolic conditions, autophagy goes awry. In cancer especially, it can be a double-edged sword: it can suppress tumors by initiating cell death after exposure to cancer therapies, or it can actually help the cancer cells survive by allowing the recycling of cellular components to provide energy during severe stress. 

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Espina, a science research associate professor of the Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine, has been investigating autophagy pathways for several years. “When we first started, it was under-appreciated that autophagy was used as a survival mechanism and not just a mechanism of cell death,” Espina said. Her team realized that if the autophagy pathway was interrupted, it could cause the cancer cells to die.