Filing provisional patent application with the USPTO entitled "PSMA-Targeted PARP Inhibitor conjugates for Precision Cancer Therapy" key to advancement of Diagnostic and Therapeutic programs
Dr. Alan Kozikowski, internationally acclaimed pioneer in the discovery of a critical PSMA targeting ligand for clinical applications is co-inventor
Theranostic molecule designed to preferentially target prostate cancer cells to the effects of radiation and chemotherapeutic agents
GAITHERSBURG, Md., April 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Shuttle Pharmaceuticals Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:SHPH) ("Shuttle Pharma" or the "Company"), a discovery and development stage specialty pharmaceutical company focused on improving outcomes for cancer patients treated with radiation therapy (RT), today announced the filing of a key provisional patent application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) entitled "PSMA-Targeted PARP Inhibitor Conjugates for Precision Cancer Therapy."
The filing is yet another critical advancement within the Company's Diagnostic subsidiary which aims to develop highly specific and effective theranostic agents for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, leveraging its high expression on prostate cancer cells for accurate imaging and for targeted therapy delivery using radio labelled PSMA ligands.
The filing comes through Shuttle Pharma's collaboration with internationally renowned medicinal chemist, Dr. Alan Kozikowski. Dr. Kozikowski's original medicinal chemistry research performed in collaboration with Professor Joseph Neale and conducted at Georgetown University Medical Center were a component in the creation of both Pylarify and Pluvitco.
This is the second patent application covering intellectual property that was discovered as part of that project. The concept of targeting cellular antigens using antibody-drug-conjugates (ADCs) has been an active and promising area of research over the past decade. Since the PSMA targeting ligands are much smaller in size, and offer potential advantages for more efficient drug delivery, at least for prostate cancer treatment, this may offer a promising avenue of research.
Shuttle Diagnostics is a wholly owned subsidiary of Shuttle Pharma which aims to develop pretreatment diagnostic blood tests for prostate cancer patients. Current focus is on both, the PSMA-B ligand, as well as the PC-Rad test for predicting outcomes following radiation therapy for localized prostate cancer. There are currently no available tests on the market that are predictive of success for a specific treatment.
"I believe a significant opportunity exists for PSMA ligands for prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment," commented Anatoly Dritschilo, MD, Shuttle Pharma's Chairman and Chief Scientific Officer. "The Shuttle Pharma scientists have collaborated with Dr. Kozikowski on discovery projects for radiation sensitizing drugs and have recently focused on discovery of novel PSMA ligands with the intent of targeting prostate cancer cells preferentially to the effects of radiation and chemotherapeutic agents. We look forward to the continued advancement of our Shuttle Diagnostics' subsidiary and the opportunity to develop a theranostic that has the potential to play a significant role in the future diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer."