South Carolina Patent of the Month – March 2023

Cancer has always been one of the most notorious diseases globally, causing millions of deaths every year. Therefore, discovering novel drug targets has always been an urgent task for scientists worldwide. CDK8 and CDK19 are two transcription-regulating kinases that have recently become a promising drug target for cancer treatment. Inhibitors of these kinases have shown efficacy in treating various types of cancers, including prostate cancer, acute myeloid leukemia, colon cancer hepatic metastases, estrogen receptor-positive and HER2-positive breast cancer, and other inflammation-associated diseases.

One of the leading companies in the research and development of CDK8/19 inhibitors is Senex Biotechnology Inc. The company has developed highly selective quinazoline-based and quinoline-based compounds, such as Senexin A and Senexin B, that are highly effective in treating different cancers. These compounds have shown better pharmacokinetics and fewer side effects than other CDK8/19 inhibitors in the market.

Furthermore, CDK8/19 inhibitors have shown a promising potential for treating other diseases such as inflammation-associated diseases, cardiovascular diseases, bone anabolic disorders, and ribosomopathies. Senex Biotechnology has taken a significant step forward in developing novel drugs that target these diseases.

One of the challenges in developing CDK8/19 inhibitors is the poor pharmacokinetics of some of these compounds. However, Senex Biotechnology has overcome this challenge by developing highly selective quinoline-based compounds that have shown better pharmacokinetics and fewer side effects than other compounds.

CDK8/19 inhibitors have shown great potential in treating various types of cancers and other diseases. Senex Biotechnology has taken a significant step forward in developing novel drugs that target CDK8/19, making them a pioneer in this field. 

Senex Biotechnology was founded by Dr. Igor Roninson, based on the discovery in his academic laboratory of a novel biological pathway associated with aging (senescence) and involved in cancer and other chronic diseases as well as the use of functional genomics technologies to identify novel drug targets that are required by tumor cells but not by normal tissues. Senex’s work on prostate cancer drug development is currently supported by a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Cancer Institute.

Are you developing new technology for an existing application? Did you know your development work could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? Even if your development isn’t successful your work may still qualify for R&D credits (i.e. you don’t need to have a patent to qualify). To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

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