REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Nov. 3, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:OMED), a clinical-stage company developing novel therapeutics that target cancer stem cells (CSCs), or tumor-initiating cells, has been granted a new patent (U.S. Patent No. 8,858,941) in the United States for OncoMed's anti-DLL4/anti-VEGF bispecific antibody (OMP-305B83) and use of the bispecific antibody in the treatment of cancer. The new patent includes both composition-of-matter and method of treatment claims for the antibody. Related patent applications are pending in the United States, Europe, Japan, China and a number of other countries worldwide.
OncoMed's anti-DLL4/ant-VEGF bispecific antibody is one of many exciting programs in our preclinical development portfolio," said Paul J. Hastings, OncoMed's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "The activity of anti-DLL4, with its robust anti-cancer stem cell and dysangiogenic properties, is expected to complement the anti-angiogenic activity of anti-VEGF to create a potent anti-tumor combination. We plan to initiate clinical trials of our novel bispecific antibody as early as late 2014 or early 2015."
OncoMed recently filed an Investigational New Drug (IND) application for its anti-DLL4/anti-VEGF bispecific antibody (OMP-305B83), a novel humanized antibody generated using OncoMed's proprietary antibody technology platform. Preclinical studies suggest that the bispecific antibody may exhibit multiple mechanisms of action: (1) by targeting DLL4 and downregulating Notch pathway signaling, the antibody is expected to have an anti-CSC effect; and (2) by targeting DLL4 and VEGF, two central regulators of tumor angiogenesis, the antibody is expected to disrupt and inhibit tumor angiogenesis. In preclinical studies, the combined inhibition of DLL4 and VEGF has resulted in significant anti-tumor activity in a variety of patient-derived xenograft models. OncoMed's anti-DLL4/anti-VEGF bispecific antibody is part of OncoMed's collaboration with Celgene Corporation.
About OncoMed Pharmaceuticals
OncoMed Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage company focused on discovering and developing novel therapeutics targeting cancer stem cells (CSCs). OncoMed has five anti-cancer product candidates in clinical development, including demcizumab (anti-DLL4, OMP-21M18), tarextumab (anti-Notch2/3, OMP-59R5), anti-Notch1 (OMP-52M51), vantictumab (anti-FZD7, OMP-18R5), and ipafricept (FZD8-Fc, OMP-54F28), which target key cancer stem cell signaling pathways including Notch and Wnt. In addition, OncoMed has filed an Investigational New Drug (IND) application for its anti-DLL4/anti-VEGF bispecific antibody (OMP-305B83) and plans to file an IND application for anti-RSPO3 (OMP-131R10) in early 2015. OncoMed is also pursuing discovery of additional novel anti-CSC and cancer immunotherapy product candidates. OncoMed has formed strategic alliances with Celgene Corporation, Bayer Pharma AG and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). Additional information can be found at the company's website: www.oncomed.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
To the extent that statements contained in this press release are not descriptions of historical facts regarding OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, they are forward-looking statements reflecting the current beliefs and expectations of management made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including OncoMed's expectations regarding the scope, validity, enforceability and duration of patent protection afforded by the referenced patent and OncoMed's other intellectual property; OncoMed's ability to obtain additional patent protection in the U.S. and additional countries; OncoMed's ability to discover and develop novel anti-CSC therapeutics and advance its preclinical pipeline; the degree to which anti-DLL4 activity will complement anti-VEGF activity; the ability of the anti-DLL4/anti-VEGF antibody to disrupt and inhibit tumor angiogenesis; the ability of OncoMed to advance its anti-DLL4/anti-VEGF bispecific antibody into Phase1 clinical trials; the timing of initiation of the Phase1 clinical trial for the anti-DLL4/anti-VEGF bispecific antibody; the anti-tumor efficacy of the anti-DLL4/anti-VEGF bispecific antibody; and the timing of an Investigational New Drug application filing for OncoMed's anti-RSPO3 antibody. Such forward-looking statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause OncoMed's clinical development programs, future results, performance or achievements to differ significantly from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the uncertainties inherent in the preclinical and clinical development process; the risks and uncertainties of the regulatory approval process; OncoMed's dependence on its collaboration partners, including GSK, Bayer, and Celgene, for the funding of its partnered programs; OncoMed's ability to raise additional capital to support the development of its unpartnered programs; OncoMed's dependence on the development and marketing efforts of its partners for the commercial success of its partnered product candidates; OncoMed's reliance on third parties to conduct certain preclinical studies and all of its clinical trials; OncoMed's reliance on single source third-party contract manufacturing organizations to manufacture and supply its product candidates; OncoMed's ability to validate, develop and obtain regulatory approval for companion diagnostics; OncoMed's ability to achieve market acceptance and commercial success of its product candidates once regulatory approval is achieved; OncoMed's ability to discover, develop and commercialize additional product candidates; the ability of competitors to discover, develop or commercialize competing products more quickly or more successfully; OncoMed's dependence on its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, its Chief Scientific Officer, its Chief Medical Officer and other key executives; risk of third party claims alleging infringement of patents and proprietary rights or seeking to invalidate OncoMed's patents or proprietary rights; and the ability of OncoMed's proprietary rights to protect its technologies and product candidates. OncoMed undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. For a further description of the risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to OncoMed's business in general, see OncoMed's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on March 18, 2014, OncoMed's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2014, filed with the SEC on May 8, 2014, and OncoMed's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2014, filed with the SEC on August 7, 2014.