Lantern Pharma Inc. (NASDAQ: LTRN) has secured a Notice of Allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for U.S. Patent Application No. 17/230,821, strengthening its intellectual property portfolio for its lead candidate LP-184 (zirdafulven). The allowance covers methods for treating solid tumor cancers using illudins and specific biomarkers, specifically targeting patients with ovarian, primary liver, kidney, or thyroid cancer who exhibit elevated expression of the genes PTGR1, PTPN14, and ASPH. This regulatory validation underscores the company’s AI-driven approach to precision oncology, aiming to increase response likelihood by selecting patients based on distinct tumor biology features.

The patent approval follows clinical data from a completed 63-patient Phase 1a trial involving patients with recurrent or refractory advanced solid tumors. Among those treated at or above the effective therapeutic dose, LP-184 demonstrated a disease control rate of 45% (n = 29). Kishor Bhatia, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Lantern Pharma, noted that PTGR1 is unique as it is associated with aggressive tumor biology and serves as the enzyme that activates LP-184 inside the tumor cell. He added that combining it with PTPN14 and ASPH creates a selection signature leveraging additional tumor features, such as proliferation impact and parallel pathways conferring sensitivity to the drug.

Biomarker Selection and Mechanism

The allowed patent claims focus on a three-gene expression signature identified through Lantern’s proprietary RADR artificial intelligence platform. This platform utilizes machine learning and large-scale genomic data to identify biomarker signatures. The selected genes play critical roles in the drug’s mechanism of action:

LP-184 functions as a prodrug selectively activated by PTGR1, which is often overexpressed in tumors. Upon activation, it forms a highly reactive metabolite that damages cancer cell DNA, inducing interstrand cross-links and double-strand breaks. This damage cannot be repaired in tumors with deficient DNA damage repair (DDR) pathways, resulting in selective cancer-cell death while sparing normal cells. The RADR platform previously identified PTGR1 overexpression and low expression of multiple DDR genes as strong predictors of LP-184 sensitivity.

Clinical Development and Regulatory Status

Lantern Pharma plans to evaluate LP-184 in multiple precision oncology Phase 1b/2 clinical trials during 2026, focusing on advanced aggressive and rare cancers. The compound has already received significant regulatory recognitions, including FDA Fast Track Designation for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and glioblastoma (GBM), as well as Orphan Drug Designation for malignant gliomas, pancreatic cancer, and atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor (ATRT). Preclinical models have demonstrated nanomolar potency, while early clinical testing has shown encouraging durability in heavily pre-treated patients.

Strategic Outlook

The company intends to continue expanding its patent portfolio through additional filings covering further indications and biomarker-guided applications of LP-184. This strategic move aims to protect its innovative approach to targeted cancer therapies, which leverages artificial intelligence to transform the cost, pace, and timeline of oncology drug discovery. By securing intellectual property rights for this specific biomarker combination, Lantern Pharma positions itself to potentially differentiate LP-184 in the competitive oncology landscape, offering a tailored treatment option for patients with specific genetic profiles in solid tumors.

Lantern, the AI-native ERP software company behind LanternBRP, announced on July 17, 2026, that it has achieved SOC2 Type 1 compliance. The certification was completed in just 8 weeks without a dedicated security department or formal compliance team, validating the platform's enterprise-grade security for mid-market and multi-entity businesses.

SOC2 is a security framework developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) that evaluates how companies manage customer data based on principles like security, availability, and confidentiality. For software vendors, this compliance is a baseline expectation for procurement.

Audit Process and Controls

The certification process evaluated 198 individual tests and controls spanning the platform and the company. Lantern utilized the Secureframe compliance automation platform to manage the process. The audit was conducted by Prescient Security.

Operational Efficiency

Lantern completed the audit without a dedicated security engineer, relying on existing operational discipline within its engineering and development teams. The company attributed the speed of the audit to having the majority of controls already in place, rather than building them specifically for the audit. Roughly 4 weeks were dedicated to initial setup and control mapping, followed by 4 weeks of auditing.

"We didn't aim to break a speed record, our goal from the start was to do things the right way. The practices that ensure a smooth audit, strong access controls, effective monitoring, and disciplined change management, are the same ones that build customer trust," said Ady Das, Co-CEO/CIO of Lantern.

Future Compliance Goals

The SOC2 Type 1 certification adds to Lantern's enterprise credentials as it scales its modular business resource planning platform across sectors such as manufacturing, field services, and agriculture. The company stated it is now headed towards Type 2 compliance.