Biotech, cancer, Hodgkin's disease

Seattle Genetics Adds Patent to 2025

Luke Timmerman 3/11/10

Seattle Genetics, the developer of antibody treatments for cancer, said today it has received a new patent which will extend its proprietary rights to its lead drug for Hodgkin’s disease until at least 2025. The U.S. patent covers technology for a linker that selectively unloads a potent toxin called auristatin on the target cell of interest. This is the technology Seattle Genetics uses in its lead “empowered antibody” program called brentuximab vedotin (SGN-35), and which several of its partners use under licenses. Seattle Genetics expects to seek FDA approval of brentuximab vedotin to treat Hodgkin’s disease in the first half of 2011.

Luke Timmerman is the National Biotech Editor of Xconomy, and the Editor of Xconomy Seattle. You can e-mail him at ltimmerman@xconomy.com, or follow him at twitter.com/ldtimmerman.