Qu Biologics Granted U.S. Patent for Use of Staphylococcus Aureus-Based Immunotherapies to Treat Melanoma

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Sept. 29, 2015) - Qu Biologics Inc., a biotechnology company developing Site Specific Immunomodulators (SSIs) that aim to restore normal immune function in the targeted diseased organ, announced today that it has been granted U.S. Patent No. 9,107,864 by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The granted patent, which issued on August 18, 2015, covers the use of Staphylococcus aureus (staph or S. aureus) bacterial components to treat melanoma.

Qu Biologics has developed multiple SSIs, each of which targets a specific organ/tissue. Qu Biologics' QBSAU, one of four SSIs in clinical development, is derived from components of inactivated S. aureus and is designed to stimulate an immune response to treat melanoma, breast and bone cancers.

Dr. David Mullins, Chief Scientific Officer of Qu Biologics commented, "Qu is leading the way in developing new therapies that take advantage of our body's natural immune response to bacteria in a manner that stimulates our immunity to recognize and destroy cancer cells." He added, "Even with the advent of targeted therapy, metastatic melanoma remains one of the most lethal forms of cancer. Qu's SSI platform may provide an innovative, safe, and effective means of treating melanoma."

In addition to ongoing work at Qu Biologics' Preclinical and Translational Research labs in Vancouver, Dr. Mullins is leading NCI-funded studies at Dartmouth to further evaluate the efficacy of SSIs in the treatment of primary and metastatic melanoma, including combinatorial approaches with current and experimental immunotherapies.

Qu Biologics' SSIs are derived from components of bacteria and are designed to stimulate the body's innate immune system to treat cancer and other immune-related diseases, including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

About Qu Biologics

Qu Biologics develops Site Specific Immunomodulators (SSI), a novel class of immunotherapies that aim to restore the body's normal immune response. SSIs are designed to stimulate an innate immune response in targeted organs or tissues to reverse the chronic inflammation underlying many illnesses, including cancer and other immune-related diseases. The company is currently recruiting participants for clinical trials in Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis and non-small cell lung cancer to study SSI treatment.

Backed by a prestigious group of scientific advisors and board members, Qu Biologics is led by a management team that includes co-founder and CEO Dr. Hal Gunn, a physician and expert on the body's immune response to chronic disease, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Simon Sutcliffe, former CEO of the BC Cancer Agency and a distinguished clinician, scientist and leader in cancer control internationally, and Chief Scientific Officer Dr. David Mullins, Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Immunology in the Norris Cotton Cancer Center at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, and recognized expert in immune cell trafficking to tumours. For more information, visit www.qubiologics.com and www.quibd.com.