Syndax receives U.S. patent for entinostat to treat metastatic cancers

Syndax Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage epigenetics oncology company, today announced allowance by the United States Patent and Trademark Office of Patent Application Serial No. 12/549458 entitled: " N-(2-AMINOPHENYL)-4[N-(PYRIDINE-3-YL)- METHOXYCARBONYL—AMINOMETHYL]-BENZAMINE (MS-275) POLYMORPH B."   This follows the UK issuance which was granted in October of 2010 adding to the extensive patent estate.

The patent covers the novel polymorph form B of the oral histone deacetylase inhibitor, entinostat, being developed by Syndax for combination therapy with aromatase inhibitors for metastatic breast cancer and erlotinib for advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

"This U.S. allowance comes at a strategic time for Syndax and the development of entinostat since we now have the results of our randomized Phase 2 placebo-controlled study in metastatic breast cancer in hand and we are advancing entinostat in to Phase 3 studies," said Joanna Horobin, president and chief executive officer of Syndax. " We believe entinostat may help address the significant need to improve outcomes for the thousands of women in the United States living with metastatic breast cancer  by extending the benefit of hormone therapy and delaying initiation of chemotherapy. With patent life extending through 2029, we are looking forward to maximizing the opportunities to develop entinostat in multiple indications."