Rich Pharmaceuticals Acquires Phorbol Esters For Hodgkin's Lymphoma
By Cyndi Root
Rich Pharmaceuticals has acquired the patents, intellectual property, and commercialization rights for phorbol esters in the treatment of Hodgkin's lymphoma. Announced in a press release, Rich acquired the complete rights from Richard L. Chang Holdings, an LLC based in New Jersey. Ben Chang, Chairman and CEO of Rich Pharmaceuticals, said, "We anticipate this acquisition will contribute meaningfully to our overall corporate strategy in becoming a diversified pharmaceutical company focused in oncology.”
Rich and Richard L. Chang Agreement
Under terms of the agreement between Rich and Richard L. Chang, Rich obtains complete ownership of the phorbol esters agent. Richard L. Chang relinquishes all rights to the product including the patent (utility patent 61998397) titled, “Compositions and Methods of Use of Phorbol Esters for the Treatment of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.” The two companies did not disclose the financial terms of the deal.
Phorbol Esters
Phorbol esters are known for promoting tumor activity by mimicking the action of diacyl glycerol (DAG), in turn activating protein kinase C and regulating signal transduction pathways and other metabolic activities. However, a few phorbol esters derivatives have antimicrobial and antitumor activities. In May 2014, the United States Patent Office issued a utility patent (20140140979) for phorbol esters to treat stroke, indicating that phorbol esters may have broad utility for human diseases and conditions.
About Rich Pharmaceuticals
Rich Pharmaceuticals has been developing RP-323 (12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate) for acute myelocytic leukemia (AML). The company is currently conducting a Phase 2 study for this indication.
In July, Rich engaged a contract research organization (CRO), Therinova Development from San Diego, to file a New Drug Application (NDA) for RP-323. Rich’s Chang, said, “We’re aggressively pushing ahead with our AML Phase 2 clinical plans and with Therinova’s clinical research expertise in oncology, we are confident in our regulatory approval strategy.”
In July 2013, Rich announced another Richard L. Chang patent acquisition relating to phorbol esters (Patent No. 6,063,814) titled, "Phorbol esters as anti-neoplastic and white blood cell-elevating agents.” The invention claims to increase the white blood cell counts in patients suffering from neoplastic diseases or undergoing chemotherapy by administering a proprietary formulation of phorbol esters or derivatives.