Santalis Pharmaceuticals Announces Issuance of Patent for the Use of Sandalwood Oil to Treat Cancers

Santalis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today the issuance by the Japanese Patent Office of a patent that covers sandalwood oil-containing compositions that can be used to treat a variety of cancers. The patent for invention number 5,972,797 includes claims that protect compositions for treatment of solid tumors, including bladder cancer, and also covers preventing the progression of actinic keratoses (AK) to squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

According to Dr. Paul Castella, CEO of Santalis Pharmaceuticals, “We’re very pleased that the first patent issued to us following acquisition by TFS Corporation protects compositions intended to treat life-threatening diseases. Obtaining patent protection for natural products is very challenging, and the issuance of this important patent validates our strategy of protecting novel compositions, formulations and uses of our pharmaceutical-grade East Indian sandalwood oil.”

East Indian sandalwood oil (EISO) is currently being studied in several Phase 2 clinical trials in Australia and the US for treatment of various skin conditions such as psoriasis, warts, atopic dermatitis and molluscum contagiosum. In addition, a mouth rinse containing EISO is being evaluated in a Phase 2 clinical trial for prevention of oral mucositis in head and neck cancer patients undergoing high dose radiation therapy.

EISO is an essential oil with a long history of use in traditional medicine and its broad range of biological activities and excellent safety profile make it an attractive drug candidate for clinical development in a variety of indications. Said Dr. Corey Levenson, Santalis’ Chief Scientific Officer, “Most of our clinical efforts to date have focused on dermatology and EISO’s anti-inflammatory and anti-infective properties. This patent underscores the importance of our research on EISO’s novel anti-proliferative effects and its potential for use in the treatment of cancer.”

ABOUT SANTALIS PHARMACEUTICALS:

Santalis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of TFS Corporation, Ltd. (ASX: TFC). Santalis, and its sister company, Santalis Healthcare Corporation (formerly known as ViroXis Corporation), were acquired by TFS in July 2015 and are developing scientifically- and clinically-validated over-the-counter and prescription products that utilize TFS’ cultivated, sustainable, pharmaceutical­grade East Indian Sandalwood Oil. Santalis’ product development programs are focused in dermatology and oral health, where EISO’s well documented safety and anti-infective, anti­proliferative and anti-inflammatory properties are well suited to a number of prevalent and under­served conditions.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160909005028/en/

Santalis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.Jim Traa, [e-mail]