According to Dr. Paul Castella, CEO of Santalis Pharmaceuticals, "We're very pleased that the first patent allowed to us in Australia since we became part of Quintis Ltd. in Perth will protect the use of pharmaceuticals intended to treat life-threatening disease. This patent will further validate our strategy of protecting novel compositions, formulations and uses of high-purity Sandalwood Album Oil produced by Quintis Ltd."

Sandalwood Album Oil (SAO), also known as 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 SAO 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.

SAO 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, unique drug candidate for broader clinical development in a variety of life-threatening indications. Santalis' Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Corey Levenson stated: "Most of our clinical efforts to date have focused on dermatology and Sandalwood Album Oil's anti-inflammatory and anti-infective properties. This patent will underscore the importance of our research on SAO's novel anti-proliferative effects and its potential for use in the treatment of cancer."