Patent purchase agreement signed between BayPAT and Cycuria

19.12.2024

Munich, Germany, December 19th, 2024 - BayPAT, a service provider specializing in technology transfer, IP management and commercialization, today announced that it has entered into a patent purchase agreement with Cycuria GmbH (“Cycuria”). The agreement covers a patent portfolio for a technology developed by scientists of the TUM Universitätsklinikum Klinikum rechts der Isar (MRI-TUM) in the field of cutting edge leukemia therapy.

Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) presents significant challenges in treatment, with approximately 200,000 new cases annually worldwide — an increasing trend due to an aging population. Despite advancements in therapies that improve initial response rates, achieving durable remissions and long-term survival remains difficult, especially for older or unfit patients unable to undergo intensive chemotherapy or stem cell transplantation. As the majority of AML patients are elderly, there is a substantial unmet need for innovative treatment strategies.

A major barrier to effective AML treatment is the presence of leukemic stem cells (LSCs), which are often resistant against conventional drugs. Even newer targeted therapies and immunotherapies are limited by the specific genetics of LSCs and by the compromised immune system in leukemia patients. The survival of LSCs after treatments frequently results in relapse after an initial period of remission, as the cells continue to divide and produce more leukemic cells.

Cycuria
Cycuria uses a unique mechanism of action of a human cytokine discovered at MRI-TUM that specifically induces cell death and differentiation of leukemic tumor cells AND their progenitors (leukemic stem cells), while preserving, and even boosting, the healthy blood cells. Based on this discovery, Cycuria is developing a first-in-class protein therapeutic that not only aims at destroying all leukemic cells, but at the same time helps to keep normal blood cells at a healthy level to enable a lasting therapy success and less treatment-related side effects for leukemia patients, including older and unfit patients.

Prof. Dr. Philipp Jost, scientific founder of Cycuria, commented: “This agreement represents a pivotal milestone in Cycuria Therapeutics’ mission to revolutionize treatment approaches for patients with hematological cancer. Securing these patents reinforces our foundation for developing groundbreaking therapies rooted in cutting-edge science targeting cell death pathways. We are grateful to BayPAT for their collaboration and look forward to advancing these innovations from the laboratory to the clinic, bringing meaningful benefits to patients worldwide.”

“This technology has the potential to revolutionize leukemia therapy as a groundbreaking, first-in-class therapeutic. It exemplifies how academic research and innovation, coupled with visionary entrepreneurship, can create promising new treatment options for difficult-to-treat diseases.” adds Dr. Robert Phelps, Managing Director of BayPAT.

BayPAT
Bayerische Patentallianz GmbH (BayPAT) is the central technology transfer agency of 33 Bavarian universities, university hospitals and universities of applied sciences with more than 25.000 associated scientists – providing industry players worldwide with a unique access to the largest technology pool in Bavaria. Under the umbrella of the Bavarian Research and Innovation Agency (BayFIA), BayPAT is a full-service technology management provider offering services covering patentability and market prospects’ evaluation, IP management and IP commercialization. The main focus areas for assessing and exploiting IP are biotechnology, chemistry, medical engineering, physics, automotive industry, energy and environment engineering, information and communication technology as well as mechanical engineering.