Lantern Pharma (NASDAQ: LTRN) announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued a Notice of Allowance for a patent application covering methods of selecting and treating patients with ovarian, primary liver, kidney and thyroid cancers using its investigational therapy LP-184 (zirdafulven) based on a three-gene biomarker signature. The allowed claims cover the use of elevated expression of PTGR1, PTPN14 and ASPH to identify patients who may benefit from treatment with LP-184. This development underscores Lantern's commitment to precision oncology and the role of its RADR artificial intelligence platform in identifying the biomarker signature.
Lantern reported a 45% disease control rate among patients treated at or above the effective therapeutic dose in its Phase 1a trial and plans to advance LP-184 into multiple Phase 1b/2 precision oncology studies during 2026 while continuing to expand its intellectual property portfolio. The company's RADR platform, which leverages AI and machine learning, was instrumental in identifying the biomarker signature, supporting a precision medicine approach for LP-184. This approach aims to improve patient outcomes by selecting those most likely to respond to therapy, potentially reducing side effects and increasing treatment efficacy.
The patent allowance is significant for Lantern as it strengthens the company's intellectual property position in the competitive oncology landscape. By securing patent protection for biomarker-based selection methods, Lantern can potentially create barriers to entry for competitors and enhance the value of its pipeline. For patients with ovarian, liver, kidney, and thyroid cancers, this news may offer hope for more targeted and effective treatment options in the future. The biomarkers identified could also serve as diagnostic tools to guide clinical decision-making, moving beyond a one-size-fits-all approach to cancer therapy.
Lantern's clinical pipeline includes LP-184 (acylfulvene), LP-284 (a TC-NER targeting compound in hematologic and solid tumors), and LP-300 (cisplatin/ethacraplatin analog), which is being evaluated in the HARMONIC Phase 2 trial in never-smoker patients with relapsed advanced lung adenocarcinoma following TKI treatment. LP-184 is also being developed for pediatric CNS cancers through Starlight Therapeutics, Lantern's wholly owned CNS-focused subsidiary.
The company's multi-agentic AI co-scientist platform, withZeta.ai, is now commercially available as a subscription-based research platform for the global biomedical and drug development community, representing a new revenue stream. Lantern operates an AI Center of Excellence in Bengaluru, India and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas. The latest news and updates relating to LTRN are available in the company's newsroom at https://ibn.fm/LTRN.
