Genprex signs technology license agreement with NYU Langone Health

Genprex (GNPX) has signed an exclusive patent license agreement with NYU Langone Health related to the drug candidate, Reqorsa Gene Therapy. The therapy is under investigation as a potential treatment for mesothelioma. The subject patent is co-owned by Genprex and NYU Langone Health, and the license provides Genprex with patent exclusivity. In this study, four Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma cell lines and tert-transformed mesothelial LP9 cells were treated with Reqorsa and control liposomes for 48h. Treated cells were then evaluated for TUSC2 expression by semi quantitative RT-PCR, Western blot analysis, and functional assays including cell proliferation, invasion, and apoptosis. The researchers demonstrated that Reqorsa treatment resulted in a significant decrease in cell proliferation, cell invasion, and a significant increase in cell apoptosis in all four MPM cell lines. Data also demonstrated potent tumor suppressive activity of the TUSC2 gene delivered by Reqorsa, and thus, its re-expression could serve as a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of MPM. Approximately 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed each year in the U.S., and there are approximately 2,500 mesothelioma-related deaths each year in the U.S.