PR: Heidelberg Pharma Secures Patent for the Use of its ADC Technology Platform

Ladenburg, Germany, 15 November 2023 – Heidelberg Pharma AG (FSE: HPHA) today announced that its subsidiary Heidelberg Pharma Research GmbH has been granted a patent covering site-specific ATAC conjugates by the European Patent Office (EPO). Site-specific ATAC conjugates comprise a genetically engineered antibody to which Heidelberg Pharma’s proprietary amatoxin payloads can be coupled via specific linkers. The European patent also covers a method for the synthesis of such conjugates as well as their use in the treatment of diseases. It has a term until 2036. ATAC conjugates are antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) based on the toxin Amanitin.

The patent protects the use of Amanitin-based ADCs for research and development, as well as for the use in clinical studies and the commercialization of resulting product candidates.

Professor Andreas Pahl, Chief Scientific Officer of Heidelberg Pharma, comments: "We are very pleased that this patent has been granted, as it protects essential aspects of our ATAC technology, as e.g. improved safety and tolerability of our product candidates."

About Heidelberg Pharma's proprietary ATAC technology

Antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) combine the high affinity and specificity of antibodies with the potency of cytotoxic small molecules for the treatment of cancer. ATACs are ADCs whose active ingredient is the mushroom toxin Amanitin. Amanitin inhibits mRNA transcription by binding to RNA polymerase II, a mechanism that is crucial for the survival of eukaryotic cells. In preclinical testing, ATACs have been shown to be highly efficacious, overcoming frequently encountered resistance mechanisms and combating even quiescent tumor cells.