BioLineRx Announces Receipt of a Notice of Allowance from USPTO for Patent on Use of BL-8020, an Oral, Interferon-Free Treatment for Hepatitis C
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"We are very pleased to have received a Notice of Allowance from the USPTO for the BL-8020 patent. This is an important milestone in the development of this promising drug candidate," stated Dr.
BioLineRx is currently conducting a Phase 1/2, open-label study at two sites in
About BL-8020
BL-8020 is a proprietary fixed-dose combination treatment composed of Ribavirin and Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ). Efficacy results in replicon assays, as well as in ex-vivo infected human liver samples, showed a time and dose-dependent inhibitory effect of BL-8020 on HCV replication and infectivity. In addition, a synergistic effect with other anti-HCV agents was observed in these models. This effect on other therapies is likely to increase their potency and reduce the numerous adverse effects often associated with these drugs by reducing their effective doses. BL-8020 targets the infected host cells and inhibits HCV induced autophagy in the host. This unique mechanism of action differentiates BL-8020 from other currently used anti-HCV agents in its potential pan genotypic activity and high genetic barrier to resistance (low susceptibility for drug-resistant mutations to be developed by the virus). BL-8020 was licensed under a worldwide, exclusive agreement from Genoscience, a French company focused on viral disease therapeutics. It was developed as an anti-viral therapy by Professor
About Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C infection is a blood-borne infection of the liver caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV) which becomes chronic in about 85% of cases. According to a 2011 report from
About BioLineRx
BioLineRx is a publicly-traded biopharmaceutical development company dedicated to building a portfolio of products for unmet medical needs, as well as those with advantages over currently available therapies. The Company in-licenses novel compounds primarily from academic institutions and biotech companies based in
BioLineRx's current portfolio consists of a variety of clinical and pre-clinical projects, including: BL-1040 for prevention of pathological cardiac remodeling following a myocardial infarction, which has been out-licensed to
For more information on BioLineRx, please visit www.biolinerx.com or download the investor relations mobile device app, which allows users access to the Company's
Various statements in this release concerning BioLineRx's future expectations, including specifically those related to the development and commercialization of BL-8020, constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include words such as "may," "expects," "anticipates," "believes," and "intends," and describe opinions about future events. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of BioLineRx to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Some of these risks are: changes in relationships with collaborators; the impact of competitive products and technological changes; risks relating to the development of new products; and the ability to implement technological improvements. These and other factors are more fully discussed in the "Risk Factors" section of BioLineRx's most recent annual report on Form 20-F filed with the
Contact:
+1 212-896-1250 / +1 212-896-1215
grussell@kcsa.com / tfromer@kcsa.com
or
Tsipi Haitovsky
Public Relations
+972-3-6240871
tsipih@netvision.net.il
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