CNS Pharma acquires worldwide rights for brain cancer drug Berubicin from Houston Pharma

CNS Pharma intends to apply for orphan drug status for Berubicin with the FDA for the treatment of malignant glioma.

New Delhi: CNS Pharmaceuticals, a biotechnology company specializing in the development of novel treatments for brain tumours, completed an agreement with Houston Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("HPI") to obtain the rights to a worldwide, exclusive royalty-bearing, license for the chemical compound commonly known as Berubicin.

CNS' licensing agreement with HPI grants the Company the exclusive right to develop certain patented chemical compounds for use in the treatment of cancer globally. In its agreement with HPI, the Company acquired multiple U.S. patents for Berubicin. CNS intends to apply for orphan drug status for Berubicin with the FDA for the treatment of malignant glioma.

Berubicin is an anthracycline, a class of drugs among the most powerful chemotherapy drugs and effective against more types of cancer than any other class of chemotherapeutic agents. Anthracyclines are designed to damage the DNA of targeted cancer cells by interfering with the action of the topoisomerase II, a critical enzyme enabling cell proliferation. Berubicin was developed at the MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC), the world's largest cancer research facility. Berubicin appeared to demonstrate one Durable Complete Response in Phase I human clinical trial conducted by a prior developer.

"We believe our acquisition of the rights to Berubicin represents an important milestone in our pursuit to develop therapies for the treatment of glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer which is currently considered incurable," stated CEO of CNS, John M. Climaco, Esq. "Our agreement with HPI expands our IP protection and provides us with developmental protection worldwide while we seek orphan drug status. We are excited to continue the clinical development of Berubicin and believe its promising tolerability and efficacy results are a testament to its therapeutic potential as a novel anthracycline agent."