Vidac Pharma Holdings Plc., a clinical-stage oncology biopharmaceutical company, announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued a Notice of Allowance for U.S. Patent Application No. 17/583,238, entitled "Use of Hexokinase 2/Mitochondria-Detaching Compounds for Treating Hexokinase-2 (HK2)-Expressing Cancers." The patent allowance represents a significant milestone in the company's development of metabolism-based cancer therapeutics.
Broad Patent Protection for Novel Mechanism
The allowed claims provide comprehensive protection for Vidac's proprietary technology platform, covering multiple chemical families of HK2/VDAC1 detaching compounds in mitochondria, pharmaceutical compositions containing such compounds, and methods of treating, inhibiting, or suppressing any cancer that expresses HK2. This broad scope ensures coverage across multiple compound classes, formulations, and cancer indications.
The patent specifically protects Vidac's approach to restoring mitochondrial function by detaching Hexokinase 2 (HK2) from mitochondrial pores, addressing what the company describes as a key metabolic checkpoint hijacked by cancer cells to fuel uncontrolled growth through the "Warburg Effect."
Targeting Cancer Metabolism at Its Core
Vidac's therapeutic strategy focuses on "curing" mitochondria by reversing the metabolic dysfunction that characterizes cancer cells. By detaching HK2 from mitochondrial pores, the company's compounds aim to renormalize tumor cell metabolism and selectively drive cancer cells toward programmed cell death while sparing surrounding healthy tissue.
Dr. Max Herzberg, CEO of Vidac Pharma, emphasized the significance of this approach: "This allowance secures foundational protection for our mitochondria-targeting strategy, which we believe has the potential to transform cancer care. Unlike conventional therapies, our approach addresses the root metabolic defect in HK2-expressing tumors by restoring normal mitochondrial control."
Strategic Implications for Cancer Treatment
The patent allowance positions Vidac at the forefront of the rapidly evolving field of cancer metabolism therapeutics. According to Dr. Herzberg, "The broad scope of protection reflects the novelty and potential of our Mitochondrial targeting approach, and positions Vidac at the forefront of cancer metabolism therapeutics."
The company's approach addresses what it describes as the role of "healthy" mitochondria in fighting cancer, with Vidac working to cure the block of programmed death occurring in cancer cells by reversing the Warburg effect and making the Tumor Microenvironment (TME) pro-immune again.
This USPTO recognition represents a critical step in advancing Vidac's vision of delivering breakthrough treatments to patients worldwide, significantly strengthening the company's intellectual property portfolio in oncology and consolidating its leadership position in developing cancer metabolism therapeutics.
